Bishop begins Advent series on the 

spirituality of Mary at Pompton Lakes parish

POMPTON LAKES — The story in Scripture about the wedding at Cana recounts the first miracle that Jesus ever performed — that very act of turning water into wine, which marks the start of his public ministry. But for Catholics, this Gospel account also shows the Blessed Mother as a model of faith, who helped bring about the miracle — and by extension, our salvation — by simply asking Jesus, based on her unshakable belief that Jesus as the Messiah could make it happen.

That’s what Bishop Serratelli told faithful, who gathered in the Carnevale Center at St. Mary's Church here Dec. 4 to listen to his presentation, “Mary: from a Biblical Point of View.” He kicked off a series of talks and events, “A Mary Advent: Mary: Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church,” that venerated her and explores various aspects of her spirituality. The bishop examined what Scripture tells us about Mary's role in the Church by looking at important details in the story: the Blessed Mother's request of Jesus; Jesus' response to her; and Jesus' addressing her as “woman.”

“Mary tells Jesus, ‘They have no wine.’ She notices the lack of wine, not the guests. This shows that Mary is never a spectator in our lives. She sees our difficulties and initiates a solution to our needs. She begs the Lord on behalf of our needs, before we even know them. Mary is our intercessor,” Bishop Serratelli said. “Mary also shows confidence in Jesus. She knows that he will do something about it. Mary is the seat of wisdom; she knows who Jesus is. She is a role model of faith. She is the first to believe in Jesus and is the best believer. After Mary's act of faith, it comes to fulfillment,” the bishop said.

During the wedding, the Blessed Mother's faith encouraged her to tell Jesus, “They have no wine.” She wanted Jesus to act but leaves him with the freedom to act. Even though Mary makes no demands of Jesus, her statement is bold, because she asks Jesus to intervene, said Bishop Serratelli, who spent 27 years teaching Scripture at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, South Orange.

“Mary realized that Jesus is the Messiah. Her request is an act of faith. Faith is believing before seeing. Mary believes in him and the power of him to do so,” said Bishop Serratelli, who noted that the miracle also helped the often-doubting disciples to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. In responding to Mary’s request, Jesus speaks words that might seem disrespectful, according to the following translations: “Woman, what do I have to do?”; “Your concern is not mine”; or “Never mind; don't be worried.” Any of these translations might seem as if Jesus refuses his mother. But Mary does not take it that way, as demonstrated by her command to the wine steward, “Do whatever he tells you to do,” the bishop said.

A more accurate translation of Jesus' response might be: “What is this between you and me” — an acknowledgment that something has transpired to change the relationship between Mary and her son. At Cana, Jesus notices a change in Mary's attitude and the way that she speaks to him. That's because she recognizes the start of what will become his public ministry. In time, Jesus too puts some distance between his mother and him, as his ministry progresses, Bishop Serratelli said.

At Cana, Jesus addresses his mother using a word that many people might find offensive today: “woman.” Yet, ancient Israelites did not consider this title disrespectful. Jesus describes himself as the Son of God in direct relation to the Blessed Mother as “woman.” In the Gospel, Jesus emphasizes that Mary is blessed, not because she is the mother who bore him, but because she believes in him, pointing directly to her role in salvation history, Bishop Serratelli said.
“Jesus and Mary are bound by more than flesh and blood. They are bound by the common bond: allegiance and obedience to the Father,” said Bishop Serratelli, who noted that Revelations 12 speaks about a mysterious woman [Mary], who stomps on the head of a serpent [a reference to Satan as a serpent in Garden of Eden story in Genesis]. “Mary is the new Eve, leading us to obedience to the Father.” Following his presentation, Bishop Serratelli answered questions from the audience.

“It was nice to have Bishop Serratelli here. It gives people a chance to see him,” said Franciscan Father Frank Sevola, pastor of the Franciscan-run St. Mary’s. “The bishop is a Scripture expert, so it's great to hear him speak on something that he is passionate about.”