"...Do What He Tells You" The Article Zapper - Your Free Article Directory

The Article Zapper

Home | About Us | Contact Us

Submit Articles Member Login Top Authors Most Popular Articles Submission Guidelines Categories RSS Feeds

	Animals
	Automobiles
	Business
	Career
	Computer Programming
	Computers
	Entertainment
	Environment
	Family
	Food
	Health & Medical
	Home & Garden
	Humor
	Internet Marketing
	Legal
	Leisure & Recreation
	Marketing
	Other
	Politics
	Religion
	Sports
	Technology & Science
	Travel
	Writing

View all Categories





Forgot Password? New User?

Welcome to The Article Zapper!

ALL » Religion >> View Article

"...Do What He Tells You"

By: Gary Shirley

The wedding celebration in Cana was in full swing. Joy and celebration filled the air. There was a deep sense of kinship among the guests. There was happy music and spirited dance. There was also an acute shortage of wine.

Since wedding festivities typically went on for several days, great embarrassment was on the horizon. Mary quietly advised her Son of the predicament. Knowing the profound import of her next words, she issued a simple directive to the servants to "...do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5). Moments later, heaven touched earth.

From the moment she spoke, Mary knew that Jesus would no longer be able to blend quietly into village life. She started her Son on his mission with no idea what that mission entailed. She knew not of the master plan God had crafted from the dawn of time - the coming rejection, suffering and death that would be the price of salvation. She was unaware of the depths of divine mercy. She only knew that God was in charge and it was not important that she understand, only that she trust.

We never hear from Mary again in Scripture. Throughout the years of her Son’s earthly ministry, none of her words are recorded. Accounts of his passion and death noted only her presence, but no consoling prayer, anguished cry or stinging rebuke directed at his persecutors. Descriptions of Jesus’s miraculous Resurrection offered no mention of his mother’s reaction. Even the narrative of his Ascension included no reference to a parting dialogue or simple goodbye between mother and Son.

Some might think Mary was slighted by the inspired authors of Sacred Scripture. Others might feel that she was rightly overshadowed by her divine Son. Still others contend that her scriptural silence, in itself, possessed vast theological implications.

Perhaps another insight merits consideration. Maybe the Blessed Mother said all that needed to be said. While her command to the servants saved her wedding host much embarrassment, it was only a means to an end. Her directive was infused with a transcendence far beyond Cana. As any good mother would do, Mary offered all her children loving, yet firm, parental guidance. Quite simply, her last recorded words made clear the way to salvation.

Through the bewildered wedding servants, she reminds all generations of Christians to "...do whatever he tells you." No other message is necessary. No other instruction more profound. Mary quietly passes into the shadows of Scripture making sure her children know what she expects of them. Her haunting words continually remind us of the simplicity of the Christian faith. All we have to do is follow the path her Son carefully laid out, which is to serve the world through his bride, the Church.

Mary’s words penetrate deep into the hallways of the heart. They imbed in the fabric of the soul. Despite such presence, we often fail miserably at living up to the Blessed Mother’s simple mandate. Why does honoring the "whatever" part of Mary’s instruction demand so much? Maybe it’s because she knows her divine Son accepts nothing less than all we have to give. He sets the bar at perfection. He is not interested in lukewarm faith or partial commitment. He has no time for minimalism. His is an unrelenting challenge, one which never stops asking for more.

It’s not as if we haven’t been given the proper tools for the job. Jesus took special care to remind us of faith’s foundation in the Ten Commandments. He presented the Beatitudes so that we understood what it meant to die to self. He rounded out our understanding of the Christian mission through parables, discourses and miracles. Then he died to show us that love has no limits. Perpetual lessons taught through the power of a life perfectly lived.

Those lessons should give us pause. When I closed that last business deal, did I comply with his instruction to do unto others as I would want done to myself? When suffering came my way, did I take up the cross without whining? When praise was proffered, did I divert the spotlight to the true giver of the skill being praised? In the midst of tragedy, did I attempt to discern God’s will among the ruins? How close did I come each day to honoring the "whatever" part of Mary’s message?

In our childhood we learned to obey our mother, honor her place in the family, and respect her counsel. Mother guided, corrected, and cajoled as necessary to draw out the best in each of us. Often she only needed a single word or a telling glance and we understood exactly what instruction she wished to impart. Her messages, always, were infused with a love that was utterly impossible to comprehend. Well, our heavenly mother has spoken. She has given us the most crucial advice in the history of the world. Across the ages, our Blessed Mother has reminded us to "do whatever He tells you." We would be wise to take her advice to heart.

About the Author

Gary Shirley, his wife, and three children are members of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Kennesaw, Georgia, where Gary serves as catechist in the adult education program. Gary is an Archdiocese of Atlanta certified catechist (both PSR and RCIA) with 14 years teaching experience. Email him at backtothebasics@searchlogixgroup.com.

Total Views : 463 Word Count Appx. : 892

See All articles From Author

[CaRP] Can't open cache file.
Yahoo! News: Most Viewed
Most Viewed

ABC's Robin Roberts has breast cancer (AP)

AP - ABC "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be undergoing surgery Friday.

2 hurt in Calif. highway bridge collapse (AP)
AP - A highway bridge under construction collapsed Tuesday, trapping a delivery truck under the debris and injuring a construction worker.
FBI searches Sen. Stevens' Alaska home (AP)

AP - Federal agents with cameras searched the home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens amid questions about an oil company official's involvement in a 2000 renovation project that doubled the home's size, law enforcement officials said.

Corey Clark arrested in Arkansas (AP)

AP - Corey Clark has been arrested on drug charges and an outstanding warrant from Arizona, authorities said.

N.J. approves needle exchange program (AP)
AP - Intravenous drug users will be able to get clean needles in four New Jersey cities under an experimental program approved Tuesday to try to slow the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Mullen cites limited progress in Iraq (AP)

AP - President Bush's choice to head the military Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday an increase of troops in Iraq is giving commanders the forces needed to improve security there.

Justice Roberts checks out of hospital (AP)

AP - Chief Justice John Roberts walked out of a hospital in Maine Tuesday, released a day after he suffered a seizure. The White House said he told President Bush he was doing fine.

Hilton selling her Hollywood Hills home (AP)

AP - Paris Hilton is selling her Hollywood Hills crib.

Elvis managers plan Graceland overhaul (AP)

AP - The thousands of Elvis Presley fans descending on Memphis for the 30th anniversary of his death Aug. 16 won't see much sign of it, but plans are moving along for big-time changes at Graceland.

Usher stays mum about canceled wedding (AP)

AP - Usher and his pregnant fiancee, Tameka Foster, canceled their wedding last weekend, but they're apparently still together.

Giuliani offers health care plan (AP)

AP - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday offered a consumer-oriented solution to the nation's health care woes that relies on giving individuals tax credits to purchase private insurance.

Goldmans awarded rights to Simpson book (AP)
AP - A federal bankruptcy judge has awarded the rights of O.J. Simpson's canceled "If I Did It" book to the family of the late Ronald Goldman to satisfy a $38 million wrongful death judgment against the former football star.
German cyclist admits testosterone use (AP)

AP - German cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz was fired by his T-Mobile team Tuesday and acknowledged he "secretly" used a testosterone gel before failing a doping test in June.

Hospital bans Crocs for workers (AP)
AP - Crocs, the rubbery, clog-like shoes, have been deemed inappropriate footwear for workers in patient-care areas at a hospital.
Yard dug up after 4 tiny bodies found (AP)

AP - Experts examined genetic material from four tiny bodies discovered at the Ocean City home as investigators resumed digging Tuesday with bulldozers in an overgrown lot next door.

Newsfeed display by CaRP