They have no wine
The Worldwide Marriage Encounter Movement uses this week’s Gospel John 2: 1-11 as a metaphor for the state of a marriage. They interpret the words ‘They have no wine’ to describe marriages in which spouses have lost emotional intimacy with each other.
We can extend the metaphor to describe any deep personal loss. I think of the times in my life when I have run out of wine- the loss of my eldest son, times when I was out of employment, that time of serious illness when I was hospitalized for a week. At those times ‘I had no more wine’.
Like the young couple in the Gospel narrative, I was not aware that at those times Mother Mary was already working quietly interceding with Jesus on my behalf. ‘When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine.’
Probably you too have experienced times in your life when you have run out of wine. Perhaps you are experiencing such a time now. This week’s Gospel assures us that at these times Mother Mary is interceding on our behalf.
There is a comfort to know that help is already on the way. Mary is already going to Jesus on our behalf and telling Him ‘They have no wine’. It is at times like these, we turn to Our Mother Mary and seek comfort in her arms. As she said at Guadalupe ‘Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection?’
In moments of emptiness, when it feels as though we have nothing left to give, Mary reminds us that we are not alone. Her words at Guadalupe echo the unchanging love she holds for all of us, offering assurance and peace. Just as she noticed the need at Cana before anyone else, she is attentive to our struggles, interceding quietly and persistently.
At times when we have run out of wine, I encourage us to turn to Mary and experience the warmth of her motherly care, drawing strength from her unwavering faith in Jesus. She encourages us to place our trust in Him, confident that He will respond with an abundance of grace, just as He did at the wedding feast.
Through Mary, we are reminded that even in our darkest times, help is on the way preparing us for the transformation that God has in store for us.