How I Say the Rosary...The Marriage Feast at Cana

I am glad that the Pope made the Marriage Feast at Cana a separate mystery of the Rosary, because the theology in that story is so important.

I'll repeat the structure I devised, then post the Bible verses which I consider to be relevant to a consideration of the named Mystery.


ROSARY STRUCTURE:

The Sign of the Cross.

The Apostles Creed.

One Our Father.

One Hail Mary.

One Glory Be.

One Oh My Jesus ("Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins," etc.)

Then, the announcement, "First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation."

Then, one Our Father.

Then, I actually really do "contemplate the Mystery."

Then, after contemplating the Mystery, I say one Hail Mary, one Glory Be, and one Oh My Jesus.

Then I repeat the cycle, beginning with the announcement of the next Mystery, and the Our Father, followed by contemplation of that Mystery, and so on.


BIBLE VERSES TO CONTEMPLATE:

John 2:1-12.

In effect, the Marriage Feast at Cana story is the Catholic answer to the Protestant objection to the Catholic theology assigning to Mary a special role in the New Testament salvation process. It really is amazing how squarely this story answers objections.

To understand what I mean, you have to understand how Bible typology, built into the Bible's words by the Holy Spirit, works.

WINE = the saving blood of Christ. Matthew 26:27-28.

JARS, POTS = Mankind, us. Genesis 2:7; Jeremiah 19:10-12. The fact that the jars in this story are called "stone" means that they were "stoneware," a variety of turned clay pot heated to great hardness, not carved out of stone.

SIX (stone pots) = evil. Proverbs 6:16.

TWO (measures) = the Church. Genesis 7:9, where we see God's people entering the Church saving them.

THREE (measures) = the Will of God. The Wioll of Go0d, the Commnandments, were brought down by Moses from the mountain on the third day, Exodus 19:16, of the third month, Exodus 19:1.

WATER (potable) = salvation. Isaiah 12:3.

Now, look at the order of things in the story...

They come to need the saving blood of Christ.

Mary intercedes with her son, as Catholics say she does on behalf of mankind.

At first, Jesus gives the Protestant answer: Bug off! This is God's business! Not yours! And your timing is lousy!

But Mary is nonetheless confident that her cheap human intercession will be heeded.

As we Catholics maintain, Jesus heeds her intercession, anyway!

He takes six jars -- evil humanity -- and has water -- salvation -- put into them, and then he changes the water into wine -- he "activates" salvation with his saving blood.

All of this inhj response to Mary's intercession.