Mary was invoked by our loving founder as Mother of Divine Providence, because he recognized in this image the tenderness of the provident Father and measureless love of a mother. This Guanellian Spirituality is well established in today’s Gospel of John. There is only place in the Gospel, an effective interaction between Jesus and his mother. Usually the Old Testament scripture was known for the father-son relationship. Here the relationship between the Mother and Son is explained vividly in few lines. I would like to show 3 aspects of Guanellian spirituality.
1. Mother presenting a son: The first words of Mary according to John, v.3 When the wine was gone, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no more wine” (Οἶνον οὐκ ἔχουσιν). There is a Johannine touch in the text. She did not say, “There is no wine”. The presence of negative adverb, ouk – no more, the Jews had no more wine, as if they knew nothing about wine, manifest them the real wine. Here no article, after the miracle, there is an article (steward of the feast tasted the wine), the wine.
The narration is very implicit, six stone jars for the Jewish rites of purification, the strange mention of number six for John. There should be seven jars, of course, incomplete. (7 signs, 7 women, 7 Jewish feasts, 7 disciples speak). Seventh jar was Jesus himself produced the wine.
A widowed mother presents her son as a Messiah, a new wine to the world. Mother of Divine Providence expresses the providence of the Father, presents the newness of the Son. Jesus is the best expression of Providence. The centre of the Guanellian message is God’s Providence, offered and presented by a Mother.
Whoever venerates this mother divine providence should have the same spirit of prayer, “Providence was always with me. I was never afraid of debts or fearful for my life; Providence is our defense; thus, nothing should scare us. Even at present, in the midst of painful events, I am not afraid: Providence watches over us. Providence will be our friend if we put our love and trust in Her. (L. Guanella, La Divina Provvidenza, 1915, p. 85).
This “continuous” benevolence of the Father is Providence, the gift of a mother, saying, “God sees me. God provides for His children.” This abandonment in God the Father was for Fr. Guanella his experience of Providence.
2. Jesus presenting Mary: any Jewish woman has to undergo 3 different stages which Mary also underwent here. Mary as a woman, a virgin and finally mother.
Scipione from Gaeta who pictured this image in 16th century told about his painting, “one could feel in the picture, a moment of maternal ecstasy: one of those ecstasies that every woman experience when they bear a child. He has drawn not only a woman, but more than a woman, the virgin Mother God.” Look at the eye sight of Mary, dress (copioso manto), veil, gesture of her hand; the way carries a child like a Mediterranean woman of that time.
Jesus addressed Mary, woman, in greek, gune, in the vocative case, gunai. Twice he called Mary like that in John. At the cross, woman, behold your son. It is hardly being disrespectful or rude. We should not embarrass the way Jesus calls Mary woman, no mothers were called by the proper or common name. (Jesus called no other woman, woman). By calling woman, Jesus honors Mary.
Jesus presents the Jewish woman, invites for the new relationship in the culture, society. Mary becomes a new Eve of the humanity; The first Eve was also called "woman" (Gen. 2:22), became mother of the Church and God becomes an example of interculturality carrying together inculturation of faith and evangelization of culture.
3. Mary presenting disciples: these were the last words of Mary do whatever he tells you.. The slogan of the 17th general chapter of St. Mary of Divine Providence. Fate quello che vi dira. Actually speaking mother Mary does not have the copy right for these words. There is an internal contact in the scripture. Gen 41:55. If u see the Septuagint translation, John has copied from Genesis. There were 7 years of terrible famine in Egypt, people had no bread, rice they were dying. The soldiers came to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He indicated Joseph and told the same words of Mary, do whatever he says to you.
Words of King Pharaoh and Mary were the act of trust that undergoes any vocational discernment, revealing perfect, implicit and cheerful obedience. That wedding at Cana was the sign of a larger banquet: that of God with humanity, where the Mother of Jesus has its important role to play with her sensibility to the culture and society where we live. We should be able to invite everyone as family of God, and especially to make family with our poor. In April 1886, a small group of sisters left for Como with few poor, to open the House of Divine Providence in Via Tommaso Grossi. Dear Sisters, you should have the same heart with strong faith and trust of Guanella when carrying on our simple works of charity.
Concluding this, I believe that wedding at Cana may be suitable for our Guanellian family, in its application and in its symbolism, through which we express our spirituality and mission. In the name of Fr. Superior, all the Confreres, brothers, I wish you a happy feast we shall be accompanied by Mary, mother of divine providence.
Today’s context is more different than Cana and Como. Mary, the first believer, help us all to discern the path that Jesus points to inculturate and live today the Guanellian charism with that faith and charity that characterized the founder's life. (4th Provincial Chapter). Let us not do what Indians say, Italians say, phil.. Do whatever he says. She who tells us Jesus and her Word as a sure guide helps us to welcome new innovations of spirit with which to interpret and live our charism today with total availability of faith, charity, enthusiasm and fidelity.
Not only in the moments of Joys, but also in the moments of sorrow, we invoke the mother of Providence, “I believe that this illness of mine was sent by God’s Providence for extraordinary graces upon the House; extraordinary suffering, extraordinary graces… Because I intercede to the Lord on behalf of the Institute and you, I do not desist to send fiery words to God! ... God will take care of you. Nothing is necessary here on earth. Providence will help you! Death! Paradise! In your hands, O Lord! … Let you all follow me by carrying out this program of life: Prayer and Suffering!”
(L. Guanella, La Divina Provvidenza, October 1915, p. 150)
Homily 2: on 12 Nov 2019
Everyone has a dream wedding. Marriage is an important milestone in the life of the common people. They wait for the day; whether it’s a simple civil wedding or an extravagant church wedding, you need one thing; Preparation. We are going to see a typical ancient traditional Filipino wedding, esp in the province during pre-colonial times. (used to take long days)
1. Bridegroom: He is patrono of the wedding function. Traditionally the bridegroom’s family is responsible for the expenses, arrangement of the wedding. The grandparents act as the primary witnesses/ sponsors. The wedding dress is important for the marriage, they reveal the identity. (Remember a parable of the wedding feast, when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. (Mt 22:11) he had a reason because bridegroom’s family is responsible for the wedding dress of the participants). The parents of the bride are responsible for the traditional white gown of bride. Filipino barong (made of delicate pineapple fibers) is the suitable dress for marriage.
During the wedding at Cana, the attention goes to the bridegroom, When the wine was gone, the mother of Jesus went to the bridegroom, “They have no more wine’. It should not be read, there is no wine. The presence of negative adverb, ouk – no more, the Jews had no more wine, as if they knew nothing about wine, manifest them the real wine. Here no article, after the miracle, there is an article (steward of the feast tasted the wine), the wine.
Jesus is the real bridegroom of our Community, newness for this community, do not fast, enjoy with him and taste him. I remember another episode before the public ministry of Jesus, The disciples of the John the Baptist ask, why others fast, your disciples do not fast, How can the wedding guests fast, when there is bridegroom. Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. (Mk 2:19)
In the present time, there is a greater joy, urgent to contemplate, and taste the divine beauty. Will of God to make this marriage with this humanity, here that is why we cannot fast, we should not fast because it is the time of the wedding. Time to taste him and his gift of wine for the good of the marriage. Jesus is the best expression of Providence.
2. Bride: The bride is an interesting figure in the wedding. She is not less to the bridegroom, she is the who follows the bridegroom, going to merge with him in his life. During the wedding, suspense is the arrival of the bride. The groom should always arrive before the bride; bride should come mamaya, otherwise it will be bad luck. She should be accompanied by the mother/father of the bridegroom.
In the wedding at Cana, Mary presenting disciples and accompanies the disciples to the bridegroom: She says, Do whatever he tells you. There were six stood six stone water jars (Jewish tradition used for ceremonial washing), Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. The bride is following the bridegroom with trust and obedience. This act of mutual trust and obedience is not only necessary for the successful married life but also any vocational discernment, revealing perfect, implicit and cheerful obedience.
A group of young consecrated women had founded a home in the village for the elderly and for abandoned children, with the support of the parish priest Fr. Carlo Coppini, who died earlier that year. The Providence showed them Fr. Guanella, priest of prejudice, “hot-head man!” But they trusted simply like the disciples believing the words of Mary. (included Clare and Marcellina Bosatta), Because of the trust, they shifted from Pianello to Como, Dear Sisters, do not be afraid to trust with strong faith when carrying on our Guanella’s works of charity.
3. Babaylan: The wedding was officiated by a babaylan, a tribal priest. The house of the babaylan was the ceremonial center for the nuptial. On the first day, the couple was brought to the priest's home, where the babaylan blessed them, while their hands are joined over a container of uncooked rice. On the third day, the priest would prick their chests to draw a small amount of blood, which will be placed in a container to be mixed with water. After announcing their love for each other three times, they were fed by the priest with cooked rice coming from a single container. Afterward, they were to drink the water that was mixed with their blood. The priest proclaimed that they were officially wed after their necks and hands were bound by a cord or, sometimes, once their long hairs had been entwined together. In lieu of the babaylan, the chief of the town may also officiate Filipino wedding. Priest is the bridge between bride and bridegroom.
In Wedding at Cana, there is a presence of Babaylan, Mary, the figure of Mary is necessary for any disciple who wants to identify his Master, find and surrender to him. Mary decides the hour of mercy for Jesus and the disciples, she decides the whole miracle to be a sign within two words, V.3 and V. 5 are the, She tells Jesus, “There is no more wine”, turns to the disciples, say “Do whatever he tells you”. The bride and bridegroom need to keep a simple act of trust with the mother, who can perform the rite of unity.
Mary was invoked by our loving founder as Mother of Divine Providence, because he recognized in this image the tenderness of the provident Father and measureless love of a mother. This Guanellian Spirituality is well established in today’s Gospel of John. There is only place in the Gospel, an effective interaction between Jesus and his mother.
If you want to enjoy a faithful, lifelong relationship with Jesus, we need a mother, consoling, interceding and protecting. Whoever venerates this mother divine providence should have the same spirit of prayer, “Providence was always with me. I was never afraid of debts or fearful for my life; Providence is our defense; thus, nothing should scare us. Even at present, in the midst of painful events, I am not afraid: Providence watches over us. Providence will be our friend if we put our love and trust in Her. (L. Guanella, La Divina Provvidenza, 1915, p. 85).
This “continuous” benevolence of the Father is Providence, the gift of a mother, saying, “God sees me. God provides for His children.” This abandonment in God the Father was for Fr. Guanella his experience of Providence.
Concluding this, I believe that wedding at Cana may be suitable for our Guanellian family, in its application and in its symbolism, through which we express our spirituality and mission. In the name of Fr. Superior, all the Confreres, brothers, I wish you a happy feast we shall be accompanied by Mary, mother of divine providence.
Today’s context is more different than Cana and Como. Mary, the first believer, help us all to discern the path that Jesus points to inculturate and live today the Guanellian charism with that faith and charity that characterized the founder's life. Let us welcome new innovations of spirit with which to interpret and live our charism today with total availability of faith, charity, enthusiasm and fidelity.
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