And his disciples began to believe in him
Is 62,1-5; Ps 95; 1 Cor 12,4-11; Jn 2.1-11
20 JANUARY
For the Apostle John, the end of every miracle narrated in his Gospel is only one: leading the reader to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Why must we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Because, believing, one has life in his name. God is eternal life and eternal life is in Christ Jesus. He who believes in the Son has life. He who does not believe does not have life, because he has not believed in the name of the Only Son of God.
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name (Jn 20,30-31).
Chi crede nel Figlio di Dio, ha questa testimonianza in sé. Chi non crede a Dio, fa di lui un bugiardo, perché non crede alla testimonianza che Dio ha dato riguardo al proprio Figlio. E la testimonianza è questa: Dio ci ha donato la vita eterna e questa vita è nel suo Figlio. Chi ha il Figlio, ha la vita; chi non ha il Figlio di Dio, non ha la vita. Questo vi ho scritto perché sappiate che possedete la vita eterna, voi che credete nel nome del Figlio di Dio. E questa è la fiducia che abbiamo in lui: qualunque cosa gli chiediamo secondo la sua volontà, egli ci ascolta. E se sappiamo che ci ascolta in tutto quello che gli chiediamo, sappiamo di avere già da lui quanto abbiamo chiesto. Sappiamo che chiunque è stato generato da Dio non pecca: chi è stato generato da Dio preserva se stesso e il Maligno non lo tocca. Noi sappiamo che siamo da Dio, mentre tutto il mondo sta in potere del Maligno. Sappiamo anche che il Figlio di Dio è venuto e ci ha dato l’intelligenza per conoscere il vero Dio. E noi siamo nel vero Dio, nel Figlio suo Gesù Cristo: egli è il vero Dio e la vita eterna (Gv 5,10-20).
Faith is not born from reading the Gospel. Faith is born from the faith of the disciple. The disciple sees the works of Jesus, hears the Word of Jesus, believes in Jesus, true Son of God and Saviour and eternal life for every man. But who gives birth to faith in the disciples of Jesus? In the Gospel according to John the person that must never be lacking both concerning the birth of faith in the disciples and concerning its keeping alive and growth in truth is the Mother of Jesus. This is why on Golgotha she is given to the disciple.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
If the Virgin Mary is missing in the life of the disciple as the true Mother of Jesus, never will the true faith in Jesus be born in his heart. If the Mother of Jesus is missing in the life of the disciple as his true Mother, never will the true faith grow from truth to truth and never will it be kept good until the end. Without the Mother of Jesus, we do not arrive at the true faith in Jesus and not even the true faith will come to full maturation. Moreover, for true faith to arise in the heart of the disciple and mature, it is necessary for everyone to obey Christ Jesus and the Mother of Jesus. Mary obeys her motherhood. Christ to his sonship. The servants at their service. Every other person to his specific ministry. True faith is born of a communion of obedience. No one must deprive the birth of true faith in a heart because of his disobedience to his being, his ministry and his responsibility before God and men. If today there is little faith in the hearts the cause is to be searched in some pillars that have failed. One of these essential pillars is the disciple of Jesus, who freed himself from the responsibility of having to give birth to faith.
Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that the disciples take their responsibility back.