Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us

John’s gospel story about the wedding at Cana invites us to see Mary as the New Eve. The creation story of Genesis is in the background at Cana as it was in Revelation. Mary is here, too, called “woman”. Also, Mary is presented at Cana as the mother of the Messiah, Jesus, as she is in Revelation. She is also associated with Jesus’ disciples – as the woman in Revelation is the mother of those who “bear witness to Jesus”. Indeed, at Cana, Mary is the catalyst for the miracle that manifests Christ’s glory and causes His disciples to begin to believe in Him (see John 2:2,11).

It is interesting to note that in Mary’s only other appearance in John – at the foot of the Cross – she is also portrayed as mother of the Church. Jesus designates her the “mother” of His beloved Apostle John and, by extension, mother of all his disciples (see John 19:26-27).

At Cana, the New Eve radically reverses the decision of the first Eve. The first woman led the first Adam to commit his first evil act in the garden. At Cana, the new woman leads the New Adam to perform His first glorious work. The first Eve counseled Adam to defy God and eat the fruit. The New Eve brings the people’s needs to her Son and teaches the people to obey Him in faith: “Do whatever He tells you”. (see John 2:5).

The first Eve was the mother of all the living (see Genesis 3:20). By teaching the disciples and servants to believe in Jesus, the new Eve becomes the mother of the Church – “the children of God” (see John 1:12; 19:26-27).

So the words Mary speaks at Cana are a sort of covenant vow that she speaks on behalf of the servants and the disciples, expressing their acceptance of Jesus and their willingness to live by faith in His words.

That the servants share her faith is reflected in John’s detail – told by Jesus to fill the jars, they filled them “to the brim” (see John 2:7).

It is significant that the only “vow” spoken at this wedding are the words Mary speaks to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you”.