Mary, mother of God

 John 2:1-5

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

When I read this story, I want to say:

Jesus, don’t speak to your mother like that!

“My hour has not yet come”

What kind of response is that?

Like a teenager who always knows better than their parent

not yet at the stage of valuing the wisdom that is often found

in those who have seen a thing or two

and who bear the scars that tell the stories

of how their wisdom was won.

I want to say:

“Jesus, listen to your mother.”

Jesus’ mother, in her wisdom

overlooked her son’s petulance

and alerted the folk at the feast

to prepare for the possibility of a miracle.

Sometimes, just sometimes, mothers really do know best.

And, like the water turned to wine,

there was abundance

Abundance that meant that there was

room enough,

grace enough

love enough

to go beyond dismissal

to carry on regardless

and to resist the temptation to say:

“I told you so”

Mary, mother of God.