My Monologues : 5
My Monologues with our Blessed Mother
(Jn 2)
Dear Mother, it is nice to see you in Cana for the wedding celebrations. May be, it is the one and the only time, (in the Johanine narration of the Gospel), where you are sighted on a celebrative and happy occasion, right, Mother? You and your son along with his band of disciples are there as invited guests.
Mother, how and when did you notice that there isn't enough wine to go around and what was your first feeling when you came to know it's shortage?
You must have felt it as an alarming situation, right? Being born and brought up in an entirely conservative Jewish tradition, you knew very well that sufficient availability of wine is very essential for a Jewish Wedding.
As a practicing Jew you knew from the Holy Book an abundance of grape-harvest and wine are some of the visible signs of God's Happy Presence and His Blessings, right, Mother?
This is all the more true for Jewish Weddings. The availability of sufficient wine for Jewish Weddings is the visible sign of God's Blessings for the bride and the bridegroom. The lack of wine is considered as an ominous sign and brought shame on the hosts.
This has been the belief in your culture and your community, right, Mother?
Besides, wine also gladdens the heart as the Holy Book says. It was used as one of the common drinks to celebrate and enjoy on a happy occasion. But it should always be used in moderation. The Holy Book also warns about the overuse or abuse of it which would be disastrous. Don't we know it from Noah who was the first one to make wine as well as to get drunk, right? Due to its addictive nature many cultures and traditions in many parts of the world strongly discourage the use of it as it can easily be abused.
But in your culture it was common to enjoy wine on joyous occasions like weddings, though it was often overused or abused by the common folks.
Yet the insufficiency was considered to be a bad.
You, for sure, never ever wanted any foreboding things to happen to this newly wed couple on the very firstday of being together as husband and wife. Lack of wine would have brought shame and guilt feelings upon the newly wed. How caring and concerned an attitude that you have!
Mother, you are altruistic to the core!
Being a guest, you could have thought to yourself something like,
"It is none of my business to poke my nose..l am just a guest and will have some small talks and then eat whatever is served, wish the bride and the groom all the best and then go home.
Mother, if you were to think along the above lines you would have been just OK.
Again you could have continued to think:
Let them face the music..they should have thought in advance and stored enough of wine whether they overlooked it or they deliberately didn't care is immaterial..
it is not my cup of tea.."
But, Mother, you went out of your way and made it sure that nothing untoward happened to spoil the happiness of the newly wed and that of their families.
No one seems to have told you about the lack of wine. You noticed it yourself, right?
It means you got yourself aware of the situation. You got yourself involved in the felt needs of those around you, right?
Mother, this is not the first time you do such a thing. Remember, some thirty or so years ago, you went on to help your cousin Elizabeth! You felt she needed help and there you went! You went unasked and stayed for months to help the aged and expecting Elizabeth!
Mother, how i wish to have the habit of your caring attitude towards people and situations around myself.
At times I do venture in and help.
But many a times, I keep myself isolated from the needy situations of others around me.
Many a times I have excuses. . ready made ones, for not getting out to help.
I often insulate myself with my needs and wants and thus blind myself to the needs of others around me.
And you know, Mother, sometimes I do volunteer to help out,
you know, for what?
just to make a name for myself..
just to be noticed by others!
That's me, Mother, many a times! That's Me!
Yet another remarkable thing about you is:
Despite the shocking rebuff you got from your son, it is not mentioned in the narration that you felt hurt and reacted.
I am so different. In similar sitations, I would try to give back double the dose with equally strong words.
Mother, when your son addressed you as"woman" you must have felt slighted, or insulted, or humiliated and what not!
Whatever feelings you went through, not to have retorted or reacted is remarkable indeed.
You did neither keep on insisting nor did go on nagging your son..
You did not make it a personal, prestige issue.
You neither complained nor lamented.
You never regreted for having made that request to your son.
After bringing to his attention, just once, about the lack of wine, you graciously withdrew.
Of course, hoping for the best and trusting your son would do something positive..
That's why, you went and told the helpers,
"Do whatever He tells you.",right, Mother?
And He did!
And the most touching of it all...
Mother, you were no where to be seen either during or after the miracle, right?
You were not there neither to claim part of the credit nor to share the glow.
Mother, you were not there to flaunt your son and his miraculous powers, right?
You just disappeared into a sort of oblivion!
Mother, you are inimitable indeed!
You know, Mother, what I would have done in such a situation.
To be begin with, I would keep on repeating my request.. I would plead and pester and will try to make it a prestige issue for me!
I would say something like:
"Look my son..It is me, your Mom who is asking you to do this favor. Please do something.. I know you can.. don't disappoint me, your Mom!
I shall never bother you any more with such request, please!
My son, don't you remember when people rediculed you calling you a carpenter"s son?
Now show them what a carpenter's son can do! Come on...
Make your parents proud and make a name for yourself!
Do perform a miracle!"
Mother, this is the way I would have thought!
And when the miracle took place, you could have gone on harping around.. "it's due to my timely intervention the miracle took place.
Had I not noticed and brought to the attention of my son, it would have been a sorry state.."
Mother, in similar situations, I would have sought out and asked for acknowledgment and appreciation.
That's Me, Mother!
Mother, tomorrow, is the Feast of your Assumption, right?
I want spend some time in silence and in your presence..
Please, keep on inspiring me with your compassion for the needy as well as the need to stop my habit of nagging and giving up when my prayers are not answerd and wishes are not realized.
Mother, do keep reminding me to be positive..
Let me spend sometime in silence and listen to you, Mother!
...........
...........
Dear Jesus, how come that you addressed your Mother as "woman"?
Doesn't it sound disrespectful, if not derogatory?
Biblical pundits bring up many explanations. But none of them would be satisfying. Some even try to explain it away. Sure, there may be a satisfactory explanation. I can wait.
In the mean time, what is awesome is that after your initial refusal, you changed your mind.
And made the "hour" come!
The Son of God yields to the request of the "woman" who bore him.
Lord, what made you to change your mind?
Is it the regret you might have felt for calling your Mom a "woman"?
Is it your realization of the compassion your Mom had for the newly wed?
Whatever may be the reason the fact is that you saved the day for the newly wed, right?
Lord, you were not stupid like Herod who didn't want to break the promise made to
the dancing daughter and ordered the beheading of your cousin.
Lord, you were not stubborn like Pilot who said "what is written is written."
Lord, you gave in to the request of your Mom.
You gave up your initial refusal which was very curt.
Looking back at my life, how often have I been stubborn!
How often have I stuck to my decision, come what may!
Lord, help me learn to yield for the right reason..
Lord, help me learn to give in whenever there is a right cause.
Lord, in your presence the Hour comes!
Lord, in your presence, water is changed into wine!
Lord, in your presence, man and woman become husband wife!
Lord, in your presence, the chief steward changes his prejudiced views he had of the host family.
But look at me, though I have been in your presence for so long as a priest ministering to many, I haven't changed as much as I should, right, Lord?
Lord, thank you for your immense patience with my slow change and growth!
Lord, after my monologue, I want to spend some time in silence..
in your presence...
Lord speak to me..
keep speaking to me and reminding me of the need to keep changing and keep growing!
..........
Amen
JoAchen
August 14, 2014
PS
These Reflections are neither pure exegetical interpretations nor highly theological explanations. They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth and thereby helping me to come closer to my God and to my fellow humans.
Thank you for reading them.
As I keep holding you in my daily prayers , I request you to include me in yours.
Thank you,
JoAchen
My Monologues with our Blessed Mother
(Jn 2)
Dear Mother, it is nice to see you in Cana for the wedding celebrations. May be, it is the one and the only time, (in the Johanine narration of the Gospel), where you are sighted on a celebrative and happy occasion, right, Mother? You and your son along with his band of disciples are there as invited guests.
Mother, how and when did you notice that there isn't enough wine to go around and what was your first feeling when you came to know it's shortage?
You must have felt it as an alarming situation, right? Being born and brought up in an entirely conservative Jewish tradition, you knew very well that sufficient availability of wine is very essential for a Jewish Wedding.
As a practicing Jew you knew from the Holy Book an abundance of grape-harvest and wine are some of the visible signs of God's Happy Presence and His Blessings, right, Mother?
This is all the more true for Jewish Weddings. The availability of sufficient wine for Jewish Weddings is the visible sign of God's Blessings for the bride and the bridegroom. The lack of wine is considered as an ominous sign and brought shame on the hosts.
This has been the belief in your culture and your community, right, Mother?
Besides, wine also gladdens the heart as the Holy Book says. It was used as one of the common drinks to celebrate and enjoy on a happy occasion. But it should always be used in moderation. The Holy Book also warns about the overuse or abuse of it which would be disastrous. Don't we know it from Noah who was the first one to make wine as well as to get drunk, right? Due to its addictive nature many cultures and traditions in many parts of the world strongly discourage the use of it as it can easily be abused.
But in your culture it was common to enjoy wine on joyous occasions like weddings, though it was often overused or abused by the common folks.
Yet the insufficiency was considered to be a bad.
You, for sure, never ever wanted any foreboding things to happen to this newly wed couple on the very firstday of being together as husband and wife. Lack of wine would have brought shame and guilt feelings upon the newly wed. How caring and concerned an attitude that you have!
Mother, you are altruistic to the core!
Being a guest, you could have thought to yourself something like,
"It is none of my business to poke my nose..l am just a guest and will have some small talks and then eat whatever is served, wish the bride and the groom all the best and then go home.
Mother, if you were to think along the above lines you would have been just OK.
Again you could have continued to think:
Let them face the music..they should have thought in advance and stored enough of wine whether they overlooked it or they deliberately didn't care is immaterial..
it is not my cup of tea.."
But, Mother, you went out of your way and made it sure that nothing untoward happened to spoil the happiness of the newly wed and that of their families.
No one seems to have told you about the lack of wine. You noticed it yourself, right?
It means you got yourself aware of the situation. You got yourself involved in the felt needs of those around you, right?
Mother, this is not the first time you do such a thing. Remember, some thirty or so years ago, you went on to help your cousin Elizabeth! You felt she needed help and there you went! You went unasked and stayed for months to help the aged and expecting Elizabeth!
Mother, how i wish to have the habit of your caring attitude towards people and situations around myself.
At times I do venture in and help.
But many a times, I keep myself isolated from the needy situations of others around me.
Many a times I have excuses. . ready made ones, for not getting out to help.
I often insulate myself with my needs and wants and thus blind myself to the needs of others around me.
And you know, Mother, sometimes I do volunteer to help out,
you know, for what?
just to make a name for myself..
just to be noticed by others!
That's me, Mother, many a times! That's Me!
Yet another remarkable thing about you is:
Despite the shocking rebuff you got from your son, it is not mentioned in the narration that you felt hurt and reacted.
I am so different. In similar sitations, I would try to give back double the dose with equally strong words.
Mother, when your son addressed you as"woman" you must have felt slighted, or insulted, or humiliated and what not!
Whatever feelings you went through, not to have retorted or reacted is remarkable indeed.
You did neither keep on insisting nor did go on nagging your son..
You did not make it a personal, prestige issue.
You neither complained nor lamented.
You never regreted for having made that request to your son.
After bringing to his attention, just once, about the lack of wine, you graciously withdrew.
Of course, hoping for the best and trusting your son would do something positive..
That's why, you went and told the helpers,
"Do whatever He tells you.",right, Mother?
And He did!
And the most touching of it all...
Mother, you were no where to be seen either during or after the miracle, right?
You were not there neither to claim part of the credit nor to share the glow.
Mother, you were not there to flaunt your son and his miraculous powers, right?
You just disappeared into a sort of oblivion!
Mother, you are inimitable indeed!
You know, Mother, what I would have done in such a situation.
To be begin with, I would keep on repeating my request.. I would plead and pester and will try to make it a prestige issue for me!
I would say something like:
"Look my son..It is me, your Mom who is asking you to do this favor. Please do something.. I know you can.. don't disappoint me, your Mom!
I shall never bother you any more with such request, please!
My son, don't you remember when people rediculed you calling you a carpenter"s son?
Now show them what a carpenter's son can do! Come on...
Make your parents proud and make a name for yourself!
Do perform a miracle!"
Mother, this is the way I would have thought!
And when the miracle took place, you could have gone on harping around.. "it's due to my timely intervention the miracle took place.
Had I not noticed and brought to the attention of my son, it would have been a sorry state.."
Mother, in similar situations, I would have sought out and asked for acknowledgment and appreciation.
That's Me, Mother!
Mother, tomorrow, is the Feast of your Assumption, right?
I want spend some time in silence and in your presence..
Please, keep on inspiring me with your compassion for the needy as well as the need to stop my habit of nagging and giving up when my prayers are not answerd and wishes are not realized.
Mother, do keep reminding me to be positive..
Let me spend sometime in silence and listen to you, Mother!
...........
...........
Dear Jesus, how come that you addressed your Mother as "woman"?
Doesn't it sound disrespectful, if not derogatory?
Biblical pundits bring up many explanations. But none of them would be satisfying. Some even try to explain it away. Sure, there may be a satisfactory explanation. I can wait.
In the mean time, what is awesome is that after your initial refusal, you changed your mind.
And made the "hour" come!
The Son of God yields to the request of the "woman" who bore him.
Lord, what made you to change your mind?
Is it the regret you might have felt for calling your Mom a "woman"?
Is it your realization of the compassion your Mom had for the newly wed?
Whatever may be the reason the fact is that you saved the day for the newly wed, right?
Lord, you were not stupid like Herod who didn't want to break the promise made to
the dancing daughter and ordered the beheading of your cousin.
Lord, you were not stubborn like Pilot who said "what is written is written."
Lord, you gave in to the request of your Mom.
You gave up your initial refusal which was very curt.
Looking back at my life, how often have I been stubborn!
How often have I stuck to my decision, come what may!
Lord, help me learn to yield for the right reason..
Lord, help me learn to give in whenever there is a right cause.
Lord, in your presence the Hour comes!
Lord, in your presence, water is changed into wine!
Lord, in your presence, man and woman become husband wife!
Lord, in your presence, the chief steward changes his prejudiced views he had of the host family.
But look at me, though I have been in your presence for so long as a priest ministering to many, I haven't changed as much as I should, right, Lord?
Lord, thank you for your immense patience with my slow change and growth!
Lord, after my monologue, I want to spend some time in silence..
in your presence...
Lord speak to me..
keep speaking to me and reminding me of the need to keep changing and keep growing!
..........
Amen
JoAchen
August 14, 2014
PS
These Reflections are neither pure exegetical interpretations nor highly theological explanations. They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth and thereby helping me to come closer to my God and to my fellow humans.
Thank you for reading them.
As I keep holding you in my daily prayers , I request you to include me in yours.
Thank you,
JoAchen
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