Ask for What You Need

The other night I was picking up our son from a high school mixer. As he walked up to our car, I noticed he was holding a pizza box. He climbed into the car and casually slid the pizza onto the dashboard.

“They were…giving away pizzas?” I asked. It seemed like an unusual party favor.

“Well, there was a stack of them, so I asked if I could have one,” he said. “Then everyone started taking them.”

I was astounded. As a teenager, I would never have had that kind of conversation. I hardly spoke to adults, only took what was offered directly to me, and mostly wanted to disappear into the background. And here was my child carrying an entire pizza home—from a school he doesn’t even attend.

I have to admit, it made me proud. We want our children to be advocates for themselves. A friend I shared the story with told me there’s a phrase in sales, “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” Our son saw the pizzas, which might have been thrown away. He asked and he received. It seems like a win all the way around.

This weekend the Gospel takes us to the wedding feast at Cana. I love that story because of the role that the Blessed Mother plays. I love how she comes to Jesus and tells him there is no more wine, and then Jesus tells her it’s not his problem to solve. But she tells the servants to follow his instructions—and, of course, Jesus turns water into excellent wine.

We don’t see many exchanges between Mary and her son in the Bible, and this one certainly speaks to their relationship as the mother and son of God. We see how God works through Mary, and how Mary can be an incredible intercessor and mother for each of us.

We also see how she notices the need and asks her son to resolve the problem. And he does.

It makes me think that maybe we could be more courageous in prayer. Mary offers a beautiful model for us, showing us that everything is Jesus’ concern, inviting us to ask God for what we need. Whether we are asking for more wine at a wedding feast or some other personal intention, no concern is too large or small for God.

Whatever is on your heart today, whether it seems insurmountable or insignificant, whether it’s for you or for someone you love, you can bring it to Jesus — directly or through his mother. Ask for what you need. Ask for what you want. Place your cares and concerns in God’s hands and trust that he is with you.

Maybe your prayers won’t be answered immediately. Maybe they will. Maybe you’ll find yourself carrying home a whole pizza. But whatever happens, we can take comfort in knowing that our Blessed Mother is watching and encouraging her son to resolve our concerns with his infinite power and love.

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