A man once sent one of his children to me. While the boy was on his way, the man sent me a message that read, “Father, I sent the criminal in my house to come and see you. He will tell you what he did.” The boy’s offense was that he had stolen something. I quickly replied, urging the man to retract such language, pointing out that he did not truly know his son. This boy was a treasure of potential.
I had met him before and, after listening to him, recognised his intelligence and giftedness. I could see no trace of criminality in him. Rather, I saw intelligence seeking expression. I later encouraged him to pick up a skill he never realised he could excel in, and he mastered it even faster than the person who taught him. Today, he is thriving and has successfully completed his university education.
How well do we truly know our children? We need divine guidance to nurture and understand them in order to uncover their unique potential and gifts. Mary knew her son with unwavering certainty. At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where she and Jesus were guests, the wine ran out. Noticing this, Mary approached her son, who responded to her by saying, “Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ However, his mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
The use of the word “whatever” placed no limits on what she believed her son could do. She had unwavering faith in him, confident that he could address the problem at hand. Although she had never seen him perform a miracle before, her trust in him did not falter. Undoubtedly, Jesus rose to the occasion, transforming water into wine and elevating the celebration with a superior wine.
The respect Jesus had for Mary; his mother is evident in his positive response in rescuing the situation. Though his time had not come, he did respond to the prompt of his mother. Let us pray for our parents that they may know and understand their children and earn their respect. Amen.
