They Have No Wine
Miriam Hogan, O.C.D.
In an article by Fr. James Torrens, SJ,*(1) he comments “our culture, our intellectual milieu, its infectious proneness to doubt, its suspicion of everything, is Post-Modernism.”*(2) Given that this is the culture in which we are called to grow in our commitment to love and prayer, one can ask how does devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel fit in?
We are keenly aware that there is a tremendous hunger for God today and that in spite of the presence of much skepticism and often lack of commitment to a particular church affiliation there is at the same time tremendous longing for happiness and joy in our personal lives.
Mary Speaks To Our Hearts
The concept and the person of Mary, the Mother of God, calls us to acknowledge a fresh relationship and a gentle presence, that goes not necessarily against, but beyond mere intellectual intelligence. To put it clearly, Mary speaks to our hearts as a mother to a beloved child.
It seems that, since Vatican II, a lot of serious discussions about Our Lady begin with the fact that she is not God.*(3) Yet, I never thought she was God and I grew up in the days of May processions and family rosaries. Perhaps, we need to move on in our thinking and to claim a new understanding of Mary in our current age. In this article, I would like to suggest that we might for one example, reconsider her part in Christ’s first miracle.
It is written in the gospel of John that, “there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus was also invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’”(John 2:1-3)
At this point, I would like to note that even the most serious of our Post Modern scholars would understand the difficulties of a wedding party with no wine. Fr. Torren’s article quotes Bishop Clark questioning, “how can we present Jesus Christ to them (the Post Moderns)*(4) in a way that clicks?” In the same context he offers some hints. “The people who are skeptical about foundations, norms, authority, are very pragmatic. They ask, Is it practical? Does it make a difference…”
“Do Whatever He Tells You”
Here I would submit that having wine makes a great difference. Our Lady saw the problem appealed to Christ and said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5) What could be more practical?
We can also note here that the wine that she asked for provided joy and happiness for the guests. As we approach the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel we especially remember this practical presence that points us to the Lord. And with special joy we pray…
Mother of Mount Carmel Hear
When we call O be thou near!
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1 “Now Is the Acceptable Time” by James Torrens, SJ (In the 1980s and 1990s, Fr. Torrens was an editor of AMERICA)
2 http://westcoastcompanions.org/jgc/2.1/companions.htm
3 I understand that this explaining about Mary by what she is not, began with an outreach to Protestant Churches. However to continue to define the person of Mary by what she is not, may hinder our own growth in the devotion, love and respect we should have for the mother of God.
4 To list some of the positive aspects of our Post Modern culture quoted in Fr. Torrens’s article: “Certain agenda and emphases get a lot of attention today—tolerance, diversity, multiculturalism. They are crucial to the good health of our society and to living out the gospel, and they are honored in the Second Vatican Council. But they do go with the flow of Post-Modernism. They respond to the good points, the strong features, of our culture.”
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