FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD
Wednesday May 24, 2023
Feast of Mary Help of Christians
WORD of the DAY
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs* in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. (John 2: 1-11)
How shall I live this Word? 
Today the Church commemorates the Virgin Mary with the title “Help of Christians”. As Patroness of the Salesian Family, she is solemnly celebrated by us. St. John Bosco saw in the invocation “Help of Christians” a stupendous synthesis of the mystery of the Blessed Virgin in the plan of salvation working in the church, so much so that he wrote, “…an experience of eighteen centuries shows us in a luminous way that Mary continued in heaven and with the greatest success her mission as Mother of the Church and Help of Christians that she had begun on earth.” (Wonders of the Mother of God, 1868, p.45) The liturgy of the solemnity offers us the passage from the Wedding at Cana, exclusive to the Gospel of John. The joyful and festive atmosphere of the wedding party is symbolized by wine. Its lack causes discomfort. “They have no wine.” They have no joy. But at the wedding, Mary is there, an attentive Presence who notices the gazes of the servants, hears the cry of those who suffer; she foresees, anticipates, and provides. At Cana, Maria is clearly Help of Christians. She who believed in the Word now helps to believe and obey, “Do whatever He tells you!” Here is the secret of joy. As Christ taught us to pray to the Father that His will be done, Mary shows us the Son, who is the human face of the Father on earth, as a point of reference for our life. Mary shows us, she indicates, she teaches us Christ as the central person of our life to follow, listen to, and love. The attitude of obedience to the Word of Jesus on the part of the servants and the courage to believe restore joy to all. “Do whatever He tells you!” Do what the Word says; do what Jesus says. He is our Good; He is our Peace. “In His will is our Peace,” said Saint Francis.
We turn to you Mary. Help us to be silent in our lives to listen to the voice of the Word of your Son Jesus who shows us the way to true joy.
The voice of Don Bosco
Our Lady wants us to honor her under the title Help of Christians. The times are so sad that we need the Most Holy Virgin to help us keep and defend the Christian faith. (BM 7)
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E-mail: srmterzo@gmail.com Website: www.sanbiagio.org info@sanbiagio.org Blog: livingscripture.wordpress.com Comment: Sr. Vilma Colombo, FMA
