by By Fr. Christopher Kubat
Pastor, St. Andrew Parish in Tecumseh
At the wedding feast of Cana, the Virgin Mother of God noticed the moment the newlywed couple ran out of wine.
We read in the second chapter of John’s Gospel, “When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said to her, ‘O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
At the intercession and request of Mary, Jesus changed his mind, and changed six stone jars filled with water into wine. For more than 2,000 years, our Blessed Mother has been directing her children to her Son.
In December 1531, the Mother of God appeared to Juan Diego. On his cloak, or tilma, God imprinted an image of Mary with Child. Her womb was the first tabernacle. She instructed Juan to ask Bishop Juan de Zumarraga to build a church so pilgrims could be with her Son, Jesus Christ. It is through the intercession of St. Mary that many of her children acquire faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Wherever the Virgin Mary has appeared, she has done so in order for her children to get to know and love her Son Jesus. Only when we love Jesus will we want to do his will.
Back in September four individuals—Juan Madrigales, Ruben Madrigales, Celia Hernadez and Rosario Montalvo—and Father Dominic Winter made the long trek from Lincoln (a little more than one hour), from Cristo Rey Parish in Lincoln to St. Andrew Church in Tecumseh for an hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and to get their passports for the diocesan Eucharistic Passport Pilgrimage stamped.
They were taking to heart our Blessed Mother’s desire that we all spend time with Jesus in the Sacrament of the altar. They were joined with other members of St. Andrew Parish to give praise, adoration and love to Jesus.
As wonderful as it is to visit some of the Marian shrines around the world, one does not need to do so in order to encounter Jesus completely present in the Eucharist. He is present in tabernacles in your local parish church. Never forget that when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion worthily, we too are tabernacles.
My hope is that everyone reading this develops a habit of making a regular weekly visit in church in front of the tabernacle. It is there where you will encounter Jesus Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Never forget the best motherly advice ever given, “Do whatever he tells you.”
