I was praying recently with the passage about the wedding at Cana from the book of John, chapter 2. I was moved by this beautiful illustration of the courage, humility, and simplicity of Mary. In the story, Mary sees a need and simply states it to her son, whom she knows is capable of taking action. She does not attempt to manipulate him, and she does not even make an outright request. She simply makes an observation, "They have no wine."
Jesus gets snippy with her, reacting defensively. He is clearly annoyed that she mentioned it to him.
Mary ignores his reaction and does not take offense. She doesn't engage in a battle of wills. She doesn't try to explain or cajole. She simply trusts the action of the Holy Spirit within her son and instructs the servants to follow his directions. It reminds me of when my grandmother told me that she just ignores my grandfather when he acts up.
After Jesus adjusts to Mary's observation and accepts his role, he takes action. His mother has empowered him to fulfill his destiny. We all need a little push at times, and we need someone who believes we can be who God has called us to be and do what God has called us to do. We need someone who believes in us and validates us--someone who reminds us of who we are, who says, "You are who you think you are," "You can do what you think you can do!"
Through Mary's gentle nudging, Jesus "revealed his glory." May I be Mary to my sons and to each individual that I encounter; someone who sees and affirms each person, who encourages each person to be the highest version of themselves and so to fulfill God's destiny for their life.
And may I learn, as Jesus did, to take action when it is my calling to do so. May I cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that the glory of the Lord may be revealed through me.
Andrea "Ani" Vidrine works as a hospice chaplain with Louisiana Hospice and Palliative Care in Opelousas, Louisiana, offers spiritual direction from her home, by Skype, and by FaceTime, and has been leading retreats since 1999.