The Marriage of Cana

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After an obscurity of many years, the Blessed Virgin appears again in company with her Divine Son at the marriage-feast of Cana. Like everything else in the Gospel, this event is the solemn teaching of great truths for the guidance of mankind. It is not a casual interlude, but it marks a definite stage in the progressive revelation of Our Lord. It shows us the relations between Jesus and His holy Mother, and the relations between her and mankind. It exhibits her virtues, her power of intercession, and the favours temporal and spiritual granted on her occasion. At this time Jesus was not yet manifested, He was only on the point of making the commencement of His preaching and miracles. His time, as He says, was not yet come. The intervention of Our Lady hastened that moment, and elicited His miraculous power for the first time. She alone knew who He was and had faith in Him, and she became the cause of the faith that was awakened in His disciples. Once again, as before, we find her presenting Jesus to the world, and in a manner opening for Him the second part of His career, by the miracle worked at her intercession. The Blessed Virgin is shown by this to have the function of presenting Christ to us and bringing light and grace into our souls. Beseech her to be present with you in company with her Son, as at Cana.

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The Prophecy of Simeon

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The occasion of Our Lord's Presentation was marked by a revelation concerning His future, addressed to Mary His Mother by the mouth of Simeon. It had reference to the fact that, on that day, the chosen people were, by their own fault, unable to recognize their Messias. Other prophets, and Simeon himself just before, had spoken of the Child as the Salvation of God, a revelation of glory to Israel. Another aspect of the Messias is now set forth. For all time, He will be treated by a great number of those He came to save as an object of hatred and opposition. Human pride will for ever refuse to humble itself before the divine supremacy, human liberty will use its power to neutralize Omnipotence, malice will reject the divine mercies. "They have hated both Me and My Father" (John xv. 24), says Our Lord. In respect of those who so act, the work of Christ will be a failure; the bounty which is intended for the resurrection of all, will prove to be for the ruin of many in Israel; the blessing which was to have directed human evolution will in many respects be limited, in proportion to men's sinfulness. Here was another bitter drop in Mary's chalice; here was a sword of sorrow which was to rankle through life in her heart. When you meet with ingratitude or disappointment, or find that "mourning taketh hold of the end of joy" (Prov. xiv. 13), unite your sorrow with Our Lady's, and endure with resignation.

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The Purification

In consequence of Adam's sin the origin of life was tainted; a curse had fallen on maternity. The child, the delight and hope of his parents, was a new addition to the ranks of sinners, and an heir to labour and sorrow. The mother's pride was accompanied by deep humiliation. She was accounted unclean, and for forty or eighty days she remained in seclusion, forbidden to enter the temple of God or touch any holy thing. Then she came as a transgressor to offer sacrifice for sin, and to be readmitted to the privileges she had lost. The Blessed Virgin was the first exception ; in bearing her Divine Son, the Holy One of God, she had contracted no defilement actual or legal. She was the first one exempt from the law, but she submitted with wonderful humility to conceal her claims. Rather than contract defilement, she had been ready to forego the glory of the Divine Maternity, and now she resigns the credit of that which she valued so much, and places herself in the ranks of ordinary women. How strange that she, the Immaculate, should be accounted unclean, and secluded from all that was holy, because infinite Holiness had taken up its abode with her! So, in this world, must holiness always be secret, and the presence of God pass unrecognized. Nay, God's favours often become a reproach, fidelity is accounted a crime, good deeds bring more hostility on us than our sins. If this should happen to you for God's sake, "rejoice and be exceeding glad" (Matt. v. 12).

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The Divine Maturnity

 

The association of God with humanity takes place under several different forms. Its highest expression is the elevation of human nature to the divine in the unity of the Person of Jesus Christ. We are united to the Divinity individually by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in our souls, and by corporal union with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This did not exhaust the resources of God's power. He further raised one created person to union with Himself under the form of the Divine Maternity; this is the unique privilege of the Blessed Virgin. Her God was her Child. She gave human existence to Him who had created her. She gave to her Redeemer the blood which He shed to preserve her from sin. For a time He lived physically with her life; she lived spiritually with His divine life of grace. In a unique sense she could say with St. Paul, "I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. ii. 20). He was more her Son than in ordinary cases, for she alone gave of her substance to Him. And this Son was God. "The Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke i. 35). Isaias gives the name of her Child as "Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty" (Isa. ix. 6). How marvellous is this! Thank God for this new link that binds the human race to the Divinity. Adore the Divine Child who was God the Son. Reverence the blessed among women who was worthy to be the earthly Mother of God. Pray that you too may be closely united with Him in this life and the next.

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The Birth of Our Lord

Hitherto we have had the manifestations of the Divinity of the unborn Messias. Now He appears, and we have the manifestation of His Humanity. First, He is shown to be Son of David. From pagan Rome went forth an order, and "the whole world" was put in motion for the general census. The Blessed Virgin was compelled to journey from the North to the South of Palestine to obey the heathen emperor. That command did not contemplate the birth of the Messias. The enrollment of the Holy Family seemed a most insignificant detail to the Roman rulers, yet now it stands forth as the one historical result of that census. This brought about the fulfilment of prophecy, by transferring the birth of Christ from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and proved Him to be the Son of David. Mary was summoned as heiress of David in the line of Nathan, Joseph as heir in the line of Solomon; and our Lord's name was registered as inheriting His physical descent by Mary and His legal rights by Joseph, who was officially His father. How wonderfully does God turn the free actions of men to the fulfilment of His designs! How strangely do all things turn to the profit of the elect! Recognize the hand of God in all that happens to you. Observe further that the rights of Jesus are established under the cover of Mary s name.

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The Doubt of St. Joseph

Besides the parents of the Baptist, there was one other person intimately concerned in the mystery of the Incarnation, to whom it was necessary that it should be revealed: viz., the spouse of Mary. The method of its manifestation was extraordinary, it showed how various are the ways of Divine Providence, and how they serve to elicit different forms of human virtue. The knowledge of the facts and the explanation of the mystery were for a while withheld from St. Joseph. This constituted a trial of the most painful kind, one of the most terrible that could befall a just man. He was drawn different ways by anxiety and doubt, by kindness and sense of justice. Yet, in spite of a turmoil in his mind enough to disturb the balance of judgment, there was no loss of self-control, no precipitate action afterwards to be regretted, no indulgence of the sense of wrong, no bitterness or malevolence. He pondered carefully, he besought the guidance of God, and so he merited the interposition of the angel. See in this how God tries the just as if by fire. See how easy it is to be deceived by appearances, and how even that which is holiest is open to misinterpretation. Beware of rashness in judgment or action, and always ask enlightenment from God before any serious step.

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The Magnificat

The great events of the Old Testament were celebrated by canticles. Thus did Moses, Mary the sister of Moses, Anna, Deborah, Judith, Ezechias, the prophets, proclaim the glories of God and His people. In the New Testament we find three at the beginning of the Gospels. Zachary celebrated the birth of his son, St. John the Baptist, Holy Simeon celebrated the favour granted him of seeing the Messias in the temple, the Blessed Virgin chanted the special canticle of the new dispensation, the canticle of Our Lord's Incarnation, in the Magnificat. St. Elizabeth had spoken of the exultation of her own infant, of the blessedness of Mary and her sublime dignity. To this Our Lady replies under the influence of the Holy Spirit. She first gives praise to God; she refers to Him and not to herself the favours that Elizabeth had celebrated. "My soul doth magnify the Lord. "God had indeed magnified her and made her greater than any creature, but she recognizes no greatness except in magnifying Him. She exults not in herself, her praises, her virtues, but in God her Saviour alone. In herself she sees only lowliness undeserving of His notice; she will not consider herself as Queen and Mother but only as "handmaid of the Lord." So should it be with you. All that you have should give glory to God; the greatest glory consists in humbling yourself beneath His hand. "The greater thou art, the more humble thyself in all things, and thou shalt find grace before God: for great is the power of God alone and He is honoured by the humble" (Eccli. ii. 2021).

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