Second Luminous Mystery of the Rosary - The Wedding Feast at Cana- Noticing God in the Ordinary Moments of Life

Yesterday we celebrated a family wedding!

Our youngest sister and her new husband are both dairy farmers from Central Minnesota. So you can imagine the kind of wedding we're talking about here. Lots of family, familiar faces, and plenty of conversations about cows, crops, and how harvest is coming along. How did the corn and beans yield this year? Where are you at with fall tillage? How much manure is left to haul? And, of course, someone comparing how much rain they got. I mean, it is harvest season in Central Minnesota, and even at a wedding, there's no escaping a little farm talk!

And when you come from a family of eight girls, there's never a shortage of opinions. One sister has an idea. Another sister has a better idea. Someone is trying to organize everybody, and somebody else is wondering why we're making this so complicated. You get the picture.

But one thing I've really enjoyed watching throughout the wedding preparations is how differently people notice things.

Take the bride, for example. So much thought and care went into the decorations, lighting, and all those little details that would make the day beautiful. Things some people might walk right past without a second thought, but that she spent months thinking about.

Then there are the practical things. Tables that need setting up, food that needs preparing, and bridesmaids who need breakfast before a long day of hair, makeup, pictures, and celebrating.

And then there are the things that have nothing to do with decorations or food. The family members watching someone they love begin a new chapter, the memories that come flooding back, the familiar faces gathered together, and the people we wish could have been there.

It's funny how we can all be part of the same celebration and yet see such different things. Some notice the beauty, some notice what needs to be done, some notice the people, and some notice what's missing.

Which brings me to another wedding, some two thousand years ago, in a little town called Cana.

Jesus, His mother, and His disciples were attending a wedding celebration when something went wrong… they ran out of wine!

Now, I have to laugh at this part because we're from Central Minnesota. And while plenty of things could go wrong at a wedding around here, running out of alcohol probably isn't one of them. Somebody's uncle would've had a cooler of Busch Light or a couple bottles of Captain Morgan in the pickup, and half the wedding party would've volunteered to make a beer run.

But at Cana, running out of wine was more than an inconvenience; it would have been deeply embarrassing for the couple and their families. And Mary noticed the need and quietly brought it to Jesus. "They have no wine." (John 2:3)

That's it. No announcement, no committee meeting, no questioning who was supposed to be in charge of the wine, and certainly no passive-aggressive comment about who should have made a better sign-up sheet. She simply brought the need to Jesus. Then she told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5)

I love those words because Mary didn't know exactly how Jesus would respond, but she trusted Him. And I think there's something we can all learn from the trust she had in her Son.

We notice the person who gets quiet, the friend who says, "I'm fine," but we know good and well she isn't, the exhausted mom who needs encouragement, the person grieving someone they miss, or the family member who seems overwhelmed but would never ask for help.

As women, we can be awfully good at noticing these things, but sometimes noticing quickly turns into carrying. We see the hurt and want to fix it. We recognize a need, and before we know it, we're making a mental checklist of how to take care of everything.

Mary shows us something different at Cana. She notices the need, does what she can, and trusts Jesus with what she cannot do herself. And I think that's such a good reminder that we can continue caring for and helping the people around us without feeling like we need to have all the answers or fix every problem. A lot of times, the most loving thing we can do is simply bring that need to Jesus and pray, "Lord, I see this need. I don't know what to do, but I trust You with it."

Another thing I love about the Wedding Feast at Cana is that Jesus performed His first public miracle at a wedding. He wasn't in the Temple or at some big religious gathering. He was at a wedding, surrounded by family, friends, food, and probably a little chaos, just like the celebration we had this weekend!

I think about all the little things that went into making the day special. The tables being set, the decorations arranged, the food prepared, and all those miscellaneous last-minute things that always seem to pop up, and the countless little acts of love that probably went unnoticed by most of the guests. None of those things seemed particularly extraordinary, but they were all part of something beautiful. Which is often how life works!

As I think about our youngest sister and her new husband beginning their life together, I have no idea what the years ahead will hold. But I know one thing for certain. There will be plenty of ordinary days filled with early mornings in the barn, calves to feed, cows to milk, and equipment that decides to break at the worst possible time. And probably a few disagreements about how something should be done because, well, they're both dairy farmers!

But there will also be so much good to notice along the way, whether it's a beautiful sunrise over the cows, someone lending a hand without being asked, a conversation over supper, or simply the satisfaction of finishing chores after a long day. These might seem like everyday moments, but I think that's part of the beauty of learning to recognize God's presence in the ordinary.

And really, that goes for all of us, regardless of our vocation or season of life. Whether we're milking cows, raising children, working in an office, or caring for someone we love, we don't have to be doing something extraordinary to encounter the Lord. Sometimes we just need to pay attention to what's already happening around us.

That's another reason I love the Wedding Feast at Cana. Mary noticed something as simple as running out of wine, brought that need to Jesus, trusted Him with it, and through that ordinary need, Jesus revealed something extraordinary.

So readers, I invite you this week to pay a little more attention to the people and moments God places in front of you. To notice the need, bring it to Jesus, and trust Him with what happens next.

Blessed Mother, teach us to notice with love, to recognize God's presence in the ordinary, and to bring our needs to your Son. Help us to trust Him even when we cannot see what comes next.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, pray for us.

Until next time, your sister in Christ,

Hannah