Why We Go to Mary

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. (Jn. 2:1)

John the Evangelist begins his Gospel account of the wedding feast at Cana by pointing out first that Mother Mary is in attendance. That Jesus is also there is secondary. But isn’t Jesus always the most important character in any of the Gospel stories? Of course—which is perhaps the reason John references the Blessed Mother namelessly, pointing to her instead as “the mother of Jesus.” Still, the fact that John singles her out, all in her own sentence, as the first guest in attendance at this wedding, tells us that John wants us to direct our attention primarily to her.

So if Mary is the one to whom John wishes us to focus our attention, what is it about her that he wishes us to understand? Of course, most obvious is that it was at the request of His human mother that Jesus, Lord of the universe, changed the timing of His “hour.” Jesus will respect, defer to, and submit to His mother’s requests, even when those requests seem to contradict His plan.

Let’s think about what this means for a moment. Scripture tells us that when we pray in accordance with God’s will, whatever we ask for, we shall receive (Lk. 11:9). So, in other words, if my sick mother is on the brink of death, and I pray for her healing, Jesus will heal her, as long as it is in accordance with the Father’s will.

But what if it is not? Well, one option (a very good option) is that I must then trust that God knows best, that He can and will restore peace to my heart, and that somehow, by her passing rather than surviving, more hearts will come to Christ in conversion and repentance.

However, John’s passage seems to offer an option two: I can go to Mary. I can ask Mary to ask Jesus on my behalf—for anything! Even the healing of my sick mother. But does this mean she grants requests that are not part of God’s will? And how does this relate to Jesus’ turning water into wine?

Let’s understand: of course, going to Mary with our troubles does not guarantee that Jesus changes His mind or His will for us. We all have had the experience of praying a heartfelt rosary for a particular intention, and still, things seem to end up differently than what we had hoped. But why should this be the case? If Mary can change her Son’s mind, why is it that she sometimes does not?

The thing is, Mary has unfathomable compassion for us in our distress, as any good mother does for her children, but Mary also happens to be a great mother. So, along with her compassion for us, is the even greater desire to want what is best for us. And although Mary is fully human—like us, she is also 100% full of grace—unlike us. So she can see from the perspective of eternity. It is the reason that she had the strength and grace to stand by her Son’s side at His crucifixion and death, despite her unfathomable sorrow. She simply knew that it was for the best.

The truth is, when Mary intercedes on our behalf, she does not actually “change” Jesus’ mind. We imagine that in His divinity, Jesus would have known from all eternity precisely when and how His public ministry would begin.

So why have Mary intercede as the “middleman”? Perhaps Jesus simply wants to teach us that He will always give us what is best, but first, He wills for us to ask. Specifically, Jesus wills for us to ask His mother—the woman who in His humanity He loved most of all—that we might come to love her too in this same way.

Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then He told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. (Jn. 2:7-8)

Finally, John the Evangelist wants us to understand that when Mary intercedes for us, like Jesus, we must trust and humbly submit to her instructions. Let’s realize, these servers at the wedding in Cana had no clue why Mary was telling them to obey the instructions of another arbitrary wedding guest. What compelled them to listen to Jesus in filling the wine jars with water? This was Jesus’ very first miracle, after all; the last thought they would have entertained is that Jesus was intending to transform the water into wine. Still, they did as He instructed. It seems they did so not just because Jesus gave them instructions, but because Mary did also:

His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever He tells you.” (Jn. 2:5)

Whatever it was about Mary that compelled the servers to obey her instructions, Scripture does not reveal to us. Perhaps she had shown them a tender kindness when all the other guests did not even notice their service. Perhaps they fell in love with her motherly presence, just as her own Son had, and from that moment forth, would have done anything for her that she asked of them—they loved her that much! Whatever the case, the servers obey Mary’s instructions, and it is because of them that Jesus procures the miracle. 

Which teaches us perhaps the most invaluable lesson of all. Yes, our faith—even the size of a tiny mustard seed—has the power to move mountains. But even if we should struggle to manage that much faith, our love and obedience have the power to turn water into wine! How is this possible? Because as long as we truly love our Mother Mary, and follow her instructions, it is her faith that has the power to obtain for us the healings and conversions and miracles we seek.

Author’s Note: Excerpt from: 26 Steps With the Mother of God: A Treatise on the Life of Mary: Holbrook, M.C.: 9798272524393: Amazon.com: Books.

Photo by Europeana on Unsplash