In everyone’s life there comes a stage when almost every
time they log into their FB account they would see their friends inviting them
for their wedding, uploading their wedding pics or updating their status to
either “Engaged” or “Married”. For me, that stage has arrived! And last week,
I attended a much awaited wedding of two of my very close friends. I met them
during my MBA course and since day-one we have been friends. After all these
years, it was amazing to see them share their wedding vows, promising to be
with each other in good times and bad, for better or worse, through sickness and health....
After the wedding service, we headed for the reception where
everyone was waiting to wish the newlyweds and get their photo clicked with the
stars of the day. The MC asked everyone to come in a line, enter the stage from
the left and leave from the right. In no time a long queue formed. My friends
and I decided to wait and go after some time when the mad rush to wish the
bride and groom simmered down. So almost after an hour, we decided to finally
join the queue. We were waiting for our turn to enter the stage from the left,
when I saw the groom’s mother entering the stage from the right. With her were
a few people whom she introduced to the couple. They wished them, got a snap
with the bride and groom and left – all that without waiting in the queue!! And
that’s when I realized that mothers always know the short cut to reach their son.
Isn’t our Mother Mary like that? Isn’t she the “the safest,
easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus” (St Louis de
Montfort)? The wedding reception reminded me of the wedding feast at Cana where
Jesus performed his first miracle. (Click here to read more) And what led to that miracle? Mother Mary’s
words – “Do whatever He tells you.” (John2:5) Till that day no one had seen the
divinity of Jesus. No one knew Jesus had the power to help those in distress. No one knew He could perform miracles. No one except His Mother. Mother Mary understood the anxiety of the family of
the newlywed, the worry of impending shame of not being able to serve the
guests with the ceremonial wine, the helplessness of the ones arranging the
feast. When she saw them running out of wine, she approached Jesus and with
confidence in her Son, she asked others to obey Him. Jesus performed his first miracle
and changed water into wine. The guests received the choicest wine of the day and
the family was saved from a lifelong embarrassment. All this, just because Mother showed them the
way to Jesus!
Over the last few years since I came to know God’s love for
me, I was always grappling to answer the questions - why should I respect Mary, why
should I show my devotion to her, why should I ask her to pray for me. But that
day, during the wedding reception of my friends, I got the answer! Many years
back a reporter asked Mother Teresa a similar question and she replied, “It’s
really quite simple: Mary is the mother of Jesus; without her He wouldn’t have
been born. No Mary, No Jesus.”
So, this month as we celebrate the devotion of Holy Rosary, let’s
take time to recite this powerful prayer and ask our Mother Mary to lead us to
Jesus his loving Son!
God Bless!
