MARY, WE ARE OUT OF WINE!
It seems like a lifetime ago. Two homes ago. I was the servant leader of an organized group of Catholic military women (mostly spouses of Army men) at Fort Leavenworth, KS. This was a very large and very active group. We met weekly for fellowship, prayer, and bible study. I remember there was an especially difficult time. It seemed like everyone was just pressed a little tighter with worries about our soldiers, next duty assignments, looming deployments, planning moves, uprooting our children to start over (yet again), in addition to all the “normal” ankle-biters of everyday life. In the midst of all this stress, one of the ladies (one of my longest-time and dearest friends), cried out in anguish during our group prayer time, “Mary, we are out of wine.” I remember the tears, the emotions, and the silence as we all realized that was the perfect prayer.
When we are pressed beyond what we think we can manage, when life crashes and rumbles around us, when we do not know how to handle one more crisis, Mamma Mary is there. Just as she was there for the bride and groom at Cana. She is our safe harbor. She is our resting place. She will intercede for us to her Son.
“Mary, we are out of wine.” became our code for “life is really hard right now, and I need extra prayers.” It also became a reminder that when we turn to Mary in our prayers, we are also turning to her Son. After all, the shortest path to Jesus is always through Mary. When I left that Fort Leavenworth, my parting gift from this lovely group of women was a wine bottle charm for a bracelet I never take off. Whenever I notice the charm I remember.
So in this week that we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, remember the short and simple prayer, “Mary, we are out of wine.” Let her fill you up and give you peace.
