Imagine that dear friends of yours were getting married, and the beverages ran out shortly after the reception began. It wouldn’t ruin their marriage, certainly, but it would put a damper on the celebration. As a close friend, you’d probably offer to go to the store or do whatever you could to help. Even if a disappointing reception is not exactly a problem of global proportions, you’d surely recognize that you were present at a specific moment of human need, and that helping out would be the right thing to do.
By bringing the lack of wine to Jesus’ attention, Mary was not solving a global problem, that’s true. She was, however, noticing and responding to an immediate human need, offering the help that she was uniquely poised to give. Her intervention and Jesus’ miracle no doubt saved the young couple from embarrassment, and helped them to relax and enjoy their own wedding party … which, to them, was huge.
In essence, then, this story is a testament to the fact that we can always approach Mary and ask for her prayers. No matter how trivial our problems may seem, we can trust that she will always take an interest, listen, and advocate on our behalf, just as she did at Cana.
