Course XLVII - Teaching 8: Cana Wedding (January 2nd, 1956)

The one that wishes to pray must imitate our Divine Mother. She has to be our model of prayer, our true Teacher of prayer.
In the Gospel, the Virgin Mary gives a perfect pattern of prayer: Cana Wedding. Certainly, great was indeed the close relationship between Maria and the just-married couple, since Jesus accepted to be with his Mother at his side after he started his public life. Great was indeed the close relationship between Maria and the just married-couple when she was so near that noticed that there was no wine because of certain improvidence, and she realized this was a shame to that family. So she approached to Jesus and simply said: “They have no wine”. And the Son answered and said: “My hour is not yet come”. But she urges and later comes back to her place keeping silent.
A little while later, the Master calls the servants and instructs them to bring stone waterpots. He blesses these waterpots, transforms the water into wine and the just-married rejoice.
One can ask all of the Divine Husband, and He shall give all to the consecrated soul, but one must know how to ask.
Prayer has to be living and convincing. The soul wonders: a) what, b) how, and c) when to ask.
First, you do not get what you ask because you do not know how to ask.
The Teaching of the soul is continuously from one pole to another. The soul goes from theorization to the matter. When the soul feels enthusiastic and joyful, then the soul creates images, illusions and daydreams, and this way loses totally the joy. The soul builds castles on the air. In depression, the sinks in such a way in the matter and its misery, that even forgets prayer. The soul asks many things, too many things, and the prayer is not convincing, because it stops and thinks if those things that the soul is asking are not too much material or too much personal.
So, Mary, the Divine Virgin, is an excellent perfection pattern. In the Gospel, we do not find her anywhere asking, with the exception of Cana Wedding. She is ever sharing the Master’s sorrow; she is with him at the foot of the Cross, and even at the summit of His public activities; when she knocks on the door, and they say to Jesus that his mother and brothers are outside, He does not recognize her, since he replies that his mother and brothers are those that listen to His word. He does not pay attention to Her, but She does not say a word, with the exception of Cana Wedding. But when She speaks it is because She knows what She has to ask, and insists; moreover, She demands to be heard. She knows that what She asks is necessary, and knows that Her Son can give it. a) What does She ask? Nothing unusual, nothing spiritual, nothing mystical; She asks something material and ordinary, but necessary, to save the self-esteem of Her friends. b) So, She gets up with determination and goes toward Her Son, and when He says No, She urges. She is entitled to urge, and knows that He can give. When He instructs to bring the waterpots, the essence, and substratum of prayer is made, that is, the transmutation. It does not matter that the request is material. The Divine Hands transform it: and grant health and economic solution.
The Daughters of the Divine Altar must be so: To worship always silently, but when they ask of the Divine Husband, they must do this with determination and insistence, being themselves sure that He can give all.
Then their request has to be continuous and uninterrupted, creating as strong vibratory wave as to reach the very heart of the Husband. They should not stop and hesitate if this is necessary or very material, or if it is worthwhile to disturb Him with something that apparently is worldly. They have to request imitating the Divine Mother: She was not a demanding beggar, but Her request were convincing. Later, they must keep silent and surrender their request to the Divine Will.
They must insist, even though the Master says No: they must act imitating Saint Rose of Lima, who truly contended with the Master. She said: “I want this soul, give me this soul”, and when He says that this person was an inveterate sinner, She replied: “It does not matter, I want you to give me this sinner, I want his soul”. And her request, her loving faith touched the Master’s heart as a fiery arrow, and He would give her that soul.
You should learn how to pray; you know how, but make of the Divine Mother your teacher, read the Teachings on the ever-open book, and know the secret to transform your prayer into something living and convincing.