They have no wine: a dutiful Son's submission
This poem commemorates the wedding feast at Cana during which Jesus Christ performed the first miracle of his public ministry at the behest of His Blessed Mother.
The Mass propers of the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany commemorates another type of "epiphany" (or manifestation) of Our Lord Jesus Christ through His first public miracle during the wedding feast at Cana.
To further emphasize this beautiful mystery that began Our Lord's public ministry, we offer a symbolic poem prefaced by some pertinent Scriptural quotes.
The poem intimately weaves together the tones of solicitude, charity, obedience to the will of God, the sanctity of marriage, and the holiness of Holy Mother Church, Christ’s Mystical Body. Also emphasized is the Blessed Mother, Mediatrix of all Graces.
"Behold, I make all things new"
And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. John 2:1-3
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath prepared herself. And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications of saints. And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Apocalypse 19:7-9
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles …But new wine must be put into new bottles. And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. Mark 2:22; Apocalypse 21:5
They have no wine: a dutiful Son's submission
“They have no wine,”
mother manifests
to her Son the Vine.[1]
“Woman …
what is this to Me
and thee?”
replies He.
Still...
dutiful Son
does acquiesce
to His mother’s
heartfelt request.
Indeed...
how else
could it be?
than the Son
would heed
His mother’s plea;
Lily of purity,
Immaculate one,
she who spoke,
“Be it done
to me
according to
Thy Word.”[2]
So now...
in like manner,
she is heard.
For...
like her Son,
she humbly submits
to the Father’s will.[3]
And so...
His mother’s wishes,
Divine Fullness[4]
faithfully fulfills.
“Blessed is the womb
that bore Thee,”[5]
woman from the crowd
acclaimed aloud
the holy Mother of God.
“Yea rather,
blessed are they,
who hear and obey
the Word of God,”[6]
So, He does say,
the Word Made Flesh
of His Blessed Mother.[7]
“For those who do
My Father’s will
are My sister, brother,
and mother.”[8]
O! the Virgin’s
sweet solicitude
for the virgin
bride and bridegroom;
a lovely gift,
She does present...
a beautiful etude:
“Do whatsoever
He shall say to you,”[9]
such sound advice
from our dear Mother.
For...
there is no greater
love, no other,
than to offer our lives[10]
as a sacrifice,
a total oblation
in imitation of Christ,
and His holy Mother,
two hearts bleeding... one for another.
O Blessed Epiphany!
Star of Bethlehem,[11]
wise men did see,
risen in the East;[12]
Light of the World[13]
would shine,
a third sign,
upon a wedding feast—
union divine,
between
man and woman,
husband and wife,
partakers and makers of divine life.[14]
For...
from the beginning,
it was meant to be[15]...
a great sacrament,
a mystery.[16]
Mother and Son;
bride and bridegroom,
husband and wife;
fathers, mothers,
and children, too—body of Christ,[17]
the King’s retinue,
in the Upper Room,
at the wedding feast,
around the Lamb’s throne,
His holy Tabernacle,[18]
spotless Bride[19] His own,
holy Mother, the Church, His heavenly Kingdom,
boldly we behold them...
the Communion of Saints,
the City of God...
the New Jerusalem.[20]
Footnotes
1 John 15:1, 5.
2 Luke 1:38.
3 John 4:34, 8:29.
4 Colossians 1:19, 2:9.
5 Luke 11:27.
6 Luke 11:28, 2:19, 51.
7 Galatians 4:4.
8 Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21.
9 John 2:5.
10 John 15:12-13.
11 Numbers 24:17; Apocalypse 22:16.
12 Matthew 2:2.
13 John 8:12, 9:5, 1:4-5, 9.
14 Genesis 1:27-28; 2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 5:18-33.
15 Matthew 19:4-5.
16 Ephesians 5:31-32.
17 1 Corinthians 12:27.
18 Apocalypse 21:3.
19 Ephesians 5:27.
20 Apocalypse 21:2.
