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Stories Seldom Heard 313th Edition August 2025 The Fourth Gospel: John 2:1 The Feast of Cana
Welcome to Stories Seldom Heard. Summer is the perfect time for weddings, at least here in Northern California. Recently one of my grandnieces got married. It was a celebration of love! Truly a joy for all those present and a promise of future care and support for the newlyweds.
Wedding celebrations have changed enormously since Jesus’ day. Yet, there are some wedding customs that hold true. In Jesus’ day, as in our own, many people came from great distances. Some guests stayed for a few days to visit family, friends and new relatives. Also, I’m sure those planning the wedding, then and now, were terrified, as I would be, that the food and drink might not be sufficient. However, much has changed since Jesus’ time: travel, accommodations, wedding planners, internet communications and neighborhood BevMos that can save the day.
We will never know why the family in Cana ran out of wine as Mary observed and declared to Jesus. “They have no more wine.” We might wonder, was it poor planning? Did more people arrive than were expected? Did the celebration extend beyond the usual number of days? We’ll never know. But we can imagine the embarrassment of the family and the painful financial situation that most Jewish families experienced.
In Jesus’ day the Jewish population was very poor. Roman law kept it that way. It was intentional: a way to control the Jews. Most Jews had only enough money to make ends meet. To anticipate a family wedding meant that the family had to scrimp and save for a very long time. Even though some Jewish weddings might have lasted a week or longer with wine and food that never ran out, those weddings were few and far between.
The fact that the wine ran out might not have been unusual, but the Gospel tells us that Mary noticed it and didn’t remain silent. How could she? We don’t know a lot about her, but we know she was a Nazarian. She grew up in an area far from the power and riches of Roman authority. She knew what it meant to be poor. Remember when she and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple, they offered two turtledoves. They didn’t have enough money to buy a lamb or goat as the more affluent Jewish families might have done.
This story of Cana is not only a curious and complex story, but it offers us some insights into our modern-day family dynamics. It’s as though we are present at the wedding Feast of Cana and allowed to eavesdrop on what could be a tough family conversation between Mary and Jesus. Jesus is at a jubilant celebration enjoying his family, disciples and friends. The lack of wine did not seem to catch Jesus’ attention. When Mary says, “They have no wine,” we are privy to her sense of hospitality and care for the hosting family. Her comment was not causal. It is obvious that she was urging Jesus to do something about the situation: a situation that he had not noticed.
Jesus’ response to Mary was, “How does your concern affect me?” Jesus’ words could sound challenging or dismissive. We will never know the tone with which he spoke, but his response sets up a familiar family dynamic. Discussions, perhaps disagreements, between parents and adult children can strain family relationships. Even today this is true. Working through these situations is not easy. A friend of mine who is a psychologist works mainly with young adults. He says one of their major issues is how they develop healthy relationships with their parents. They need to become independent, take responsibility for their actions, develop their talents and at the same time stay in a loving relationship with their parents. Often this takes many twists and turns before it is accomplished.
The gathering at Cana identifies another common shift in family dynamics. As parents age and their children become adults, parents often ask their adult children for advice. Some of the questions might be major, for example the sale of the family home, downsizing or moving to a different area. Other questions might be asking for advice concerning health or financial issues. Our hope is that our adult children will help us arrive at appropriate solutions even though they might not be as satisfying as Jesus’ eventual response was to Mary’s request.
Even though Mary’s question is not the same as our questions to our adult children, it sounds as though she is, like us, expecting an answer. Mary doesn’t speak much in scripture, but what she says is poignant, powerful and productive. She’s strong and wise. She’s a faith-filled woman who has trusted God’s Word and continues to be amazed by her son. Over the years she has observed Jesus’ kindness and compassion towards others. Like other good mothers she trusts her instincts. Mary doesn’t have a solution to the problem, only an observation: “They have no wine.” Surprise! Her observation brought forth much more than even she could have imagined. She didn’t ask for enough wine to get through the dinner or a few jugs of ordinary house wine, the quality of which doesn’t sound too enticing. Rather she just asked a question. She trusted that her son would have a better solution than her wildest hopes. Hope Never Disappoints (1).
In discussing this passage with a group of parishioners one of the women said, “As I have grown older, I’ve learned to pray differently. When I was younger, I used to give Jesus a lot of instructions. I used to tell Him what I wanted and how He was to do it. But now my prayer is more like Mary’s. I just place my needs and the world’s need before God. I ask the Holy Spirit to fill in the blanks as to who, how and when the answers to my prayers might come about.” This method of prayer is probably true for most of us. Now that we are older, our prayers are often for wisdom to know what to do and the courage and strength to be able to do what we believe is the right, compassionate and just. We ask for patience and insight. We ask to be led by the Holy Spirit because we know we don’t have all the answers.
Mary’s cry, “They have no wine,” can easily be translated into our concerns as we pray for the needs of the world, our country and our families. They have no homeland. They have no rights and protection. They have no hospitals or food. They have no life-sustaining jobs. They have no shelter. They have no equal education or opportunity. They have no security. They have no self-esteem because our society doesn’t value their work or their origins. They have no voice.
Mary’s petition addresses us, the Body of Christ today. She reminds us to never underestimate the power of God to make us bold disciples with roots firmly planted in the soil of justice and mercy. When we desire to do what Jesus asks of us, God can transform even our weak and insufficient works, like the water at the wedding feast, into excellent wine, bold in flavor and rich in color. In the places that feel empty God can empower even our small works of mercy to become rich sources of hope for others. It won’t be instantaneous. Rather we, like the servants, will only know in hindsight that what we have done has been transformed into something more abundant than we ever could have imagined.
We know what Jesus has asked of us. It’s hard to miss it. We hear it every week in the scriptures. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Visit the imprisoned. Reach out and protect the strangers in our midst. Protect the orphans and widows. Be in solidarity with those who suffer. Notice those, as Mary did, who have “no wine.” At a retreat recently, a woman said, “I only have money to send, but….” Before she could end that sentence, another woman interrupted her and said, “Well, send your money now. Don’t wait. People are hungry.” The gospel reminds us to be as bold as Mary was by naming the issues that keep people from celebrating the joys of family and friends and celebrating God and the goodness that holds us together as one family.
As we look at the world, we wonder what we can do. How we can be most effective? I would suggest that the first step is to begin with prayer. Prayer and silence are essential. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Wendell Berry, the poet and farmer, says it well.
It may be that when we no
longer know what to do
We might feel as though we are standing in an” impeded stream,” but it’s there in the circling of the water that the Spirit of God will force open the dam or break through the wall of rocks that impede the creative energy of the Spirit: a holy energy that will enable us to bring life-giving water to our thirsty world. To this goal, let us pray for one another.
Special thanks to Mary Ellen Green and Maria Hetherton who have helped in editing this article. Also, special thanks to Bob McGrath who conscientiously mails SSH to you each month. Without Bob’s generosity this service would not be possible. Bob utilizes Constant Contact for mailing. If you wish to change your email address please send your new email address to Bob at robert.mcgrath@mgrc.com. Thank you.
"Stories Seldom Heard" is a monthly article written by Sister Patricia Bruno, O.P. Sister is a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, California. This service is offered to the Christian community to enrich one's personal and spiritual life. The articles can be used for individual or group reflection. If you would like "Stories Seldom Heard" sent to a friend, please send a note to Sister Patricia at brunoop2017@gmail.com.
If you would like to support this ministry, please send a donation to Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, c/o Sister Patricia Bruno, OP., 40 Locust Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901. Thank you.
"Stories Seldom Heard" is a monthly article written by Sister Patricia Bruno, O.P. Sister is a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, California. This service is offered to the Christian community to enrich one's personal and spiritual life. The articles can be used for individual or group reflection. If you would like "Stories Seldom Heard" sent to a friend, please send a note to Sister Patricia at brunoop2017@gmail.com. If you would like to support this ministry, please send a donation to Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, c/o Sister Patricia Bruno, OP., 40 Locust Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901. Thank you.
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