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The Mediation of Mary at the Wedding in Cana

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I love Saturday’s because Saturday is the day for this blog’s posts about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ave Maria!
As we move into Epiphany, we recall Christ’s first sign at the Wedding in Cana. Christ transubstantiated (and even transaccidentiated) water into the best wine.
Let’s take a look at what Saint John and the Holy Spirit records:

His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. 

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now. 

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (John 2:5–11, D-R)

The ministry of Christ our Lord begins with “His mother” when she says, “Do whatever he tells you.” The Holy Vulgate has it as: “Quodcumque dixerit vobis, facite.” Many lament, “Why is that Mary appears so little in the New Testament? If she is so important, why is she not on every page?”
I discuss it some in the section on “Saint Paul and the Blessed  Virgin Mary” in my book The Catholic Perspective on Paul. In my opinion (and I’m not the magisterium) there are at least three reasons for this. 
  1. Holy persons and holy items are veiled. The meaning of of “apocalypse” is from the Greek  apo– “from” and kalyptein “to cover, to veil.” Christ’s reign is currently veiled until the end of time when it will be unveiled, or re-veiled, or apocalypsed. The most holy things are the most hidden. It should be startling that we are experiencing more and more Marian apparitions. In my opinion, it’s a sign of the preparation for…
  2. Mary is mentioned several times and only at key moments. At the incarnation of Christ. At the birth of Christ. At the circumcision (first blood-shedding of the Messiah), at the presentation in the temple, at Christ’s teaching in the temple, at his first miracle in Cana, then at the foot of the cross, and then at Pentecost, oh, and then again in the Apocalypse. 
    It is as if God uses Mary as His most precious spice. As he prepares the banquet, he uses it sparingly and only for special purposes. Mary is God’s highlighter. He does not highlight ever sentence, only the best lines!
  3. Lastly, I do not think that Christ and the Holy Ghost wanted her featured too often. If you read the dedicatory of this blog, you might begin to discern this, let the reader understand: “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:35, D-R) Mary is the secret sign. Mary is the litmus test. Sacred Scripture says that the thoughts of our hearts will be revealed because of Mary. So when you hear someone speak with tenderness about Mary, their heart is revealed. It is a sign. When they lament her sorrows at the cross. It’s a sign. If they say, “Ha! Mary’s not that big of  deal – she’s a sinner like us all,” then this to is a sign. Their heart is revealed. 
    You cannot really argue with people who speak poorly of the Blessed Mother. There is not a ton of Scripture to convince them. It is just one of those mystical things. The elect love Mary. The reprobate are cold or hateful toward her. Period. The saints teach this over and over. I wont write out the list. St Louis de Montfort has catalogued the quotations on this subject. 
Returning to the wedding of Cana, we see that our Immaculate Mother does not need to say much. She says to us, “Obey the words of my divine Son.” That is the best Marian devotion, to avoid sin and strive for sanctity. Best of all, she helps us along the way. She is the surest and fastest way to the Christ. She is his mirror. She is the moon reflecting the light of the Sun.
My God, how beautiful is the fair creature who we call Mother and Queen? She is all fair. Christ has given her all graces. 
“I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.” (Ecclesiasticus 24:24–25, D-R)
She rules by grace through the Holy Spirit. These are things hinted at in Scripture but not at all manifest. One must become little to see it all. This pretty much sums it up: “To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 1:4, D-R)
Have a blessed First Saturday. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. Christ have mercy.
PS: A good devotion for married people is to turn to Christ when there is stress in your marriage and say to him, “We have no wine!” Let Jesus and Mary to the rest. They will turn the water in wine. It’s truly amazing how well this works. It is also wholesome to pray for your spouse during the consecration of the chalice with wine and water in it. I always offer the chalice at that moment for my bride.
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Birth of New Marshall Baby! (and a Latin baptism tomorrow)

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Photo: Marshall Family, 1 hour after the birth


Deo gratias. Our sixth child was born yesterday.
Blaise Christopher Marshall was born healthy and happy at 1:06am. My bride is also healthy and recovering well. Still, please say a Hail Mary for her.
Baby Blaise will receive the sacrament of baptism in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become a new creature in Christ, tomorrow morning after Holy Mass.
The baptism will be the Latin baptism of the 1962 Rituale Romanum with the “salt of wisdom” in the mouth, all the exorcisms, spit on the ears and nostrils, signs of the cross, etc. We’ll also have the traditional “Churching of Women” liturgy for Joy.
Please, if you will, say a prayer for little Blaise Christopher. Please pray that he will receive the gift of perseverance and one day die a holy death in the state of grace – as we pray at the end of the baptismal rite:
Take this white robe and keep it spotless until you arrive at the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may be rewarded with everlasting life.
and then:
Take this burning candle as a reminder to keep your baptismal innocence. Obey God’s commandments, so that when our Lord comes for the joyous wedding feast you may go forth to meet Him with all the saints in the halls of heaven, and be happy with Him forevermore.

Thank you for all the prayers!
ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor

Lord Jesus, have mercy.
Saint Blaise, pray for us.
Saint Christopher, pray for us.
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Birth of New Marshall Baby! (and a Latin baptism tomorrow)

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Photo: Marshall Family, 1 hour after the birth


Deo gratias. Our sixth child was born yesterday.
Blaise Christopher Marshall was born healthy and happy at 1:06am. My bride is also healthy and recovering well. Still, please say a Hail Mary for her.
Baby Blaise will receive the sacrament of baptism in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become a new creature in Christ, tomorrow morning after Holy Mass.
The baptism will be the Latin baptism of the 1962 Rituale Romanum with the “salt of wisdom” in the mouth, all the exorcisms, spit on the ears and nostrils, signs of the cross, etc. We’ll also have the traditional “Churching of Women” liturgy for Joy.
Please, if you will, say a prayer for little Blaise Christopher. Please pray that he will receive the gift of perseverance and one day die a holy death in the state of grace – as we pray at the end of the baptismal rite:
Take this white robe and keep it spotless until you arrive at the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may be rewarded with everlasting life.
and then:
Take this burning candle as a reminder to keep your baptismal innocence. Obey God’s commandments, so that when our Lord comes for the joyous wedding feast you may go forth to meet Him with all the saints in the halls of heaven, and be happy with Him forevermore.

Thank you for all the prayers!
ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor

Lord Jesus, have mercy.
Saint Blaise, pray for us.
Saint Christopher, pray for us.
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Saint Irene: Miss Constantinople Beauty Pageant Winner of AD 768

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Here’s the story of how an Byzantine Empress had her political enemies ordained priests so keep them out of political office…and how she later proposed marriage to Charlemagne…and was denied.

Here’s a quick backstory to the plot.

Irina of AthensSaint Irene was the wife and empress of the Byzantine Emperor Leo IV. She was not a princess. Historians believe she was chosen to marry the emperor’s son through an imperial Miss Byzantine Beauty Pageant known as a Bride Show.

Basically, the Byzantine emperor would line up the most gorgeous women of the empire for a beauty contest, and the emperor’s son would choose his favorite.

(“Wow dad, that girl over there would make for a really hot empress. Can I marry her?”

“If she’s the one you like.”

“Gee, thanks dad!”

“You’re welcome, son. Happy birthday Leo!”)

Although she won out as “Miss Constantinople AD 768,” she soon learned that her young husband Leo IV espoused the heresy of iconoclasm.

Iconoclasm wrongly taught that images of of Christ, Mary, and the saints should not only be removed from churches and homes, but that they should be destroyed as being contrary to the commandment “Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image.”

Saint Irene’s husband Leo IV died and left the throne to their nine year old son Constantine VI. She served as Regent until the prince reached the age of majority.

Irene unveiled a plot enthrone throne Caesar Nikephoros, a half-brother of her deceased husband Leo IV. To overcome this conspiracy, she had Nikephoros and his co-conspirators ordained as priests, an act that disqualified them from political office. Check mate!

“So you want to usurp my nine-year-old son’s rightful claim on the Byzantine throne, do you? Too bad. I’ve arranged for you to receive Holy Orders tomorrow before breakfast. Toodles!”

Saint Irene got busy. She arranged for her son Constantine VI to marry Rotrude the daughter of Charlemagne, but the wedding fell through. (Maybe the young Constantine VI also wanted to choose his own Miss Constantinople rather than risk it with the daughter of a Frankish warlord.)

Irene also worked with the Pope in Rome for the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea in AD 787 to doctrinally ratify the use of Christian images of Christ and the saints.

Saint Irene refused to allow the rule to pass from her regency to her son Constantine VI. Like Queen Elizabeth I of England, she employed the male title of “king” (basileus) instead of “queen” (basilissa). She was King Irene!

By the way, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as a substitute Roman Emperor because of the irregularity of Irene’s rule in the New Rome of Byzantium!

The widowed Irene later proposed marriage to Charlemagne to reestablish the glory of Constantinople! Charlemagne declined…even though she had once been Miss Constantinople.

Saint Irene’s feast day is August 9.

You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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We Have No Wine: A Devotion for Married Couples

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Sometimes life can throw a curveball into your marriage. External factors. Internal factors. Matrimony is a vocation. Vocations sanctify our souls and there is no sanctification without effort. What do you do during those times when marriage becomes difficult? The fifth pregnancy. Perhaps no pregnancies. Miscarriage. Unemployment. Alcoholism. Depression. Illness. Disagreements. Discouragements. Of course, marriage is a great gift and full of joy. But what happens when the wine runs out and all you have is water?
During Epiphanytide, we recall Christ our Lord changing water into wine at the wedding of Cana. This was the occasion at which Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament. Here’s the passage to freshen up your memory:

3 And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. 4 And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. 7 Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. 9 And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, 10 And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:2-11)

Sometimes, you just have to turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and say, “We have no wine. The joy has run out. All we have here is water. Please transform it!”
This is a supernatural approach to Holy Matrimony. We must realize that all the goods of matrimony flow from the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. No matter how hard it gets, Jesus and Mary can turn water into wine. Jesus can transform the dull, uninspiring, and mediocre events of our lives into an exciting vintage that makes the heart merry.
Honestly, the folks at the Wedding of Cana did not expect Christ and His Mother to accomplish something so sweet. This demonstrates the magnanimity of Christ and Mary to mankind and especially to those who are married. They will turn your water into wine. Just ask them humbly. However, if you don’t fill up the jugs, that is, if you don’t fulfill your natural duties in marriage, don’t expect a miracle. The more water in the jugs, the more they can transform into wine.

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Latin Nuptial Mass of Blessed Charle’s of Austria’s Great-Grandson Scheduled in Washington, DC

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Ms. Kathleen Walker (formerly the Communications Director at American Life League, and most recently, the Communications Director at Catholic Charities, Arlington, VA) is engaged to be married to His Imperial Royal Highness, Archduke Imre de Habsburg-Lorraine.
Archduke Imre is the great-grandson of Blessed Charles, Emperor of Austria and the grandson of Archduke Carl Christian.
Their wedding will take place at the Shrine of St Mary Mother of God in Washington, DC. The nuptial mass will be in the Extraordinary Form, and is to be on September the 8th, feast day of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
HT: Philip Onochié
Do you enjoy reading Canterbury Tales by Taylor Marshall? Make it easier to receive daily posts. It’s free. Please click here to sign up by Feed or here to sign up by Email. Please also explore Taylor’s books about Catholicism at amazon.com.
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Is Mary the Mediatrix of ALL GRACES?

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Is Mary the Mediatrix of All Graces? This a two-part question. First, is Mary a “mediatrix”? (the Latin suffix -tor denotes masculine agency and the Latin -trix denotes feminine agency – like waiter and waitress – Mediator and Mediatrix)? Second, if she is a mediatrix, is she the mediatrix of all graces?

Mary Mediatrix of All Graces

Jesus and Mary – the New Adam and New Eve
applying graces to humanity

Is Mary a Mediatrix?

Before addressing this title, let it be confirmed at the outset that Mary’s mediation does not violate the words of Saint Paul regarding the mediating priesthood of Jesus Christ, when he writes:

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Do Catholics still zealously praise Virginity?

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Saint Agnes, the Virgin Martyr

Today is the feast day of Saint Agnes, the thirteen year old virgin martyr. This morning I told her story to my students, and then I asked them (they are all Catholics), “Have you ever heard a sermon or heard a priest talk about virginity?”

They each answered, “No, I’ve never heard anything about virginity in Church.”

If we simply thumb through the sermons of the Church Fathers, or read the lives of the saints we immediately discern that virginity was once something very important to the Catholics. The great saints and Fathers were preoccupied with promoting virginity in both young men and women. They preached about it and the encouraged it. Other than our traveling Catholic “chastity speakers,” I don’t know that this message is currently being proclaimed by the Church with the same intensity as in previous ages.

Saint Augustine, as did many of the Fathers, wrote a treatise On Virginity, in which he states that consecrated virgins receive “a unique and transcendent glory” (De Virginitate, 25).

Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that a special halo, the aureole, shall be given to consecrated virgins of both sexes in heaven. He writes:

I answer that, Where there is a notable kind of victory, a special crown is due. Wherefore since by virginity a person wins a signal victory over the flesh, against which a continuous battle is waged: “The flesh lusteth against the spirit,” etc. (Galatians 5:17), a special crown called the aureole is due to virginity. (Summa theologiae, III-Supp. q. 96, a. 5)

Why then do we not presently hear the historic Catholic praise for virginity? The Mohammedans hold forth the false promise for their men gaining seventy-two virgins in heaven, but the Catholics no longer seem to hold forth the true promise that virgins gain a special place in Heaven.

Turning to the book of the Apocalypse, we find an army of virgins who are especially dedicated to Christ. These virginal saints have a special degree of sanctity:

And they sung as it were a new canticle, before the throne and before the four living creatures and the ancients: and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty-four thousand who were purchased from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were purchased from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth there was found no lie: for they are without spot before the throne of God. (Apocalypse 14:3-5)

Here we see that virginity is outward sign of interior purity and a denotes an undivided devotion to Christ.

I think there are two reasons for our contemporary forgetfulness of sacred virginity. The first is that it is politically incorrect. That is, if you speak highly virginity you’re going to hurt the feelings of those who are not virgins. While those have have abandoned their virginity through sin can receive forgiveness and grace, their mistake is no reason to not praise the ideal set forth in Sacred Scripture.

The second reason is that parents no longer stress and expect their children to be virgins. Fathers especially need to speak about virginity and encourage their children to be virgins, either until their wedding day or for all eternity. Virginity is perhaps the greatest gift that one can give to God, and it is certainly the most valuable gift that one can give to one’s spouse on the day in which you receive the sacrament of Matrimony.

So tell you friends, tell your children, proclaim it from the housetops: Praise virginity. And may Saint Agnes pray for us.

You can read the full story of Saint Agnes by clicking here.