On October 3, 2025, a symposium was held at the Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus under the title “The Presence of the Virgin Mary in the Life of the Church.” Organized by the Archdiocese of Izmir, the event brought together clergy, religious, scholars, and the faithful to reflect on the theological and spiritual role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, both in the Scriptures and in the living Tradition of the Church. Rooted in the Gospels and enriched by the Syriac Fathers, the symposium sought to renew Marian devotion by grounding it in the mystery of Christ and the mission of the Church.
Among the key presentations was a lecture by Fr. Germano Scaglioni, OFM Conv, a distinguished biblical theologian, entitled “The Mother of Jesus in the Gospel of John.” With scholarly precision and spiritual depth, Fr. Scaglioni explored the subtle yet powerful presence of Mary in the Fourth Gospel. Though she appears only at the beginning (at Cana) and the end (at the Cross), these two moments form a profound theological inclusion. At Cana, Mary is the one who invites trust in Christ’s word—”Do whatever He tells you.” At Calvary, she becomes the Mother of the Beloved Disciple and thus the spiritual mother of all the faithful. Through these two scenes, Fr. Scaglioni demonstrated how John presents Mary not merely as a historical figure, but as a living symbol of the Church: the first believer, the faithful disciple, and the Mother who continues to accompany us in our journey toward Christ.
The Mother of Jesus in the Gospel of John
Ephesus, October 3, 2025
Johannine literature, the latest and most mature in the New Testament, is particularly rich in theological reflection. More than anywhere else, narrative serves message. This does not mean that Johannine writings are not concerned with history; rather, it is a ‘symbolic-sacramental’ history, simultaneously concealing and revealing highly spiritual realities. Divinity has burst into the humility of worldly events (“The Word was made flesh”), and reality has been imbued and transfigured by the glory of God. Events, actions, gestures, and characters present a marked Christological orientation: they are at the service of the revelation of the Son of God.
The figure of Mary must also be considered in this light. Johannine tradition – unlike Luke – appears rather sober, quantitatively, with regard to Mary: it mentions her only at the beginning (at Cana) and at the end of the Gospel (at the Cross), and indirectly in Revelation. But at least as far as the Gospel is concerned, it can be said that quantity is inversely proportional to quality: in the two episodes – of Cana and of the Cross – we reach the pinnacle of reflection on Mary in the New Testament. She is no longer just the believer and the mother of Jesus but, precisely as a believer and mother, she is placed at the beginning and end of the Gospel, at the service of the faith and life of the Lord’s disciples. In this way she is directly and uniquely involved with the person and work of the Son.
1. The Wedding at Cana
John 2:1-11[12] is a passage that has always been studied, but it still conceals mysterious, almost inexhaustible riches. It is a key episode not only for understanding the figure of Mary, but above all for penetrating the heart of John’s Gospel, its message, and particularly its Christology. After the fundamental first chapter, comprising the hymnal Prologue (1:1-18) and the narrative prologue (1:19-51) with the testimony given to Jesus by John the Baptist and the calling of the first disciples (all punctuated by a precise 1 Lumen gentium 56: EV I/430. 2 / 11 sequence of days and hours, important for the evangelist), immediately – in the second chapter – is the presence of the mother of Jesus.
The pericope of Cana does not primarily concern Mary, even though she is profoundly involved in it. Indeed, precisely because it is “set” in the revelation of the mystery of Jesus, among grandiose theological-salvific realities, the figure of the Virgin acquires a singular importance. This appears more evident if we compare the scene of Cana with that of Mary at the cross (Jn 19:25-27). Placed at the beginning and at the culmination of the mystery of Jesus and of the “signs” that reveal it, the two passages form a fundamental inclusion. They constitute, in a certain way, the extremes between which the entire saving work of Christ is accomplished.
1.1. The “Beginning of Signs”
The richness of the Cana scene is impressive. The text begins with a determination of time and place and concludes, at the same time, with a spatial-temporal indication:
v. 2:1: “And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee”
v. 2:12: “After this he went down to Capernaum”.
An episode framed with such care cannot be a normal wedding feast, but a saving event unfolding in the time and space of human existence. To dispel any misunderstanding, the evangelist promptly comments at the end of the episode: “This Jesus did as the ‘beginning’ of ‘signs’” (v. 11). The ‘sign’ is an action or work performed by Jesus to reveal his identity as the Son of God, the presence among us of the Word made flesh. Cana is the “beginning” of the signs that will follow: an archetype, a typical sign, which stands at the beginning, prefigures and anticipates all the others, revealing their meaning and purpose. It is therefore not a simple episode, but a fundamental event, which inaugurates Jesus’ mission. With it, he reveals his glory, the splendor and power he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 1:1ff; 17:5) and that with which he will be invested in his resurrection. The sign manifests glory, and the contemplation of glory leads to faith: “and his disciples”, the evangelist concludes, “believed in him!” (v. 11). These fundamental realities of Johannine theology (sign-glory-faith) show how the Cana passage is deeply rooted in the Fourth Gospel and announces its main developments. We should therefore not be surprised when, beneath 3 / 11 apparently common terms and realities, we see very dense realities and symbolism emerge.
1.2. “The Third Day”
The passage thus begins with the expression: “the third day” (v. 1). This is not simply a chronological fact, but a formula evoking the mystery of the resurrection, the sign par excellence in which Jesus’ glory was truly manifested and his disciples believed in him. ‘The third day’ still expresses our faith in the resurrection today. Moreover, ‘the third day’ recalls the event of the covenant at Sinai with the gift of the Law, which prefigures the new covenant with the new Law given by Christ. In this broad and dense context of memory and prophecy, the Fourth Gospel introduces Mary: “And the mother of Jesus was there” (v. 1). The narrative begins by emphasizing her presence. In the passage, she is repeatedly referred to with the formula “the mother of Jesus” (vv. 1, 3, 5, 12); as such, in v. 3, she intervenes with Jesus to remedy a difficult situation.
1.3. The Mother of Jesus, the Woman and the Hour
The mother of Jesus – like most Johannine characters (cf. Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the Jews, the man born blind, etc.) – initially places herself and speaks on a human level: “They have no wine” (v. 3). Jesus, however, immediately transports her to a different and superior level, proposing another type of intervention and presence: “Woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (v. 4). It is a sentence that at first seems enigmatic and disconcerting, yet from it emerge precious revelations. By calling her “woman” and not ‘mother’ (as would have been logical), Jesus distances himself from family ties to affirm his identity and his mission. His response, in questioning form, echoes that given to his father and mother in the temple of Jerusalem: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be with my Father?” (Lk 2:49) and recalls Jesus’ words regarding his mother and brothers (cf. Mk 3:31-35; Mt 12:46-50; Lk 8:19-21). Flesh and blood must give way to the demands of the Father and the mission He has received. The term ‘woman’ – despite the first impression – does not have a negative connotation: it will be taken up and made explicit in the parallel text of the Cross (Jn 19:26), in which the new identity and particular role of Jesus’ mother in the mystery of salvation will be revealed. 4 / 11 Already in Cana, however, the term seems to take on a positive and new meaning, as can be deduced from the words that the mother immediately afterwards addresses to the servants (cf. v. 5). Jesus, in any case, claims his place even with regard to his mother. For the moment, after all, his hour has not yet come (cf. v. 4). The ‘hour’ of Jesus is the time of his passion-death and glorification, in which the Father and the Son will be glorified (cf. Jn 13:31; 17:1). The whole existence of Jesus is oriented towards this hour: it is a tension-inclusiveness that runs through and embraces the whole of the fourth Gospel, from the initial expression “my hour has not yet come” (2:4) to the fulfillment “Father, the hour has come” (17:1).
An hour determined by the Father, one that no one could anticipate. After Jesus’ mysterious yet revealing response, Mary’s intervention, initially tied to a contingent situation, transforms and becomes an invitation to the servants to do the Son’s will: “Do whatever he tells you!” (v. 5). Note that this formula echoes the ancient profession of fidelity to the covenant at the foot of Sinai (cf. Ex 24:7). With those words, linked to a fundamental past experience, a new event is introduced that is about to take place, a ‘sign’ that will reveal the glory of the Son of God and inaugurate the faith of the disciples.
1.4. Symbol, Memory, and Prophecy
It is increasingly clear that the episode at Cana is not a simple wedding feast: everything appears symbolic-sacramental and evokes other gestures, such as Jesus multiplying the loaves, only to later reveal that his body is the true bread and his blood the true drink (cf. Jn 6:55). Everything in Cana becomes symbol, memory, and prophecy: the wedding is the sign of God’s final communion with his people, a wedding that comes true in Christ, the bridegroom of the Church. It is no coincidence that in the following chapter – Jn 3:29 – the Baptist calls himself “the friend of the bridegroom”, referring to Jesus, the bridegroom of the community of believers. Naturally, there is a banquet at the wedding, and wine cannot be missing from the table. Wine is particularly emphasized in our passage (it occurs five times out of six in the entire Fourth Gospel), and its significance emerges particularly in contrast with the lustral water, used for the purification of the Jews. Water, a ritual element linked to the old law, is transformed into new wine, a symbol of the messianic times finally here, with the joy that characterizes them. The wine 5 / 11 represents not only the messianic times with the new Law that characterizes them, but Christ himself. The steward, in fact, does not know “where he comes from”: according to typical Johannine language, the world does not know “where Jesus comes from”, unlike the servants who, having done what he said, have become his friends, to whom Jesus has revealed everything (cf. Jn 15:14ff). He does not understand why the groom (who is actually Jesus) has reserved the good wine until now. The answer is that the messianic times are fulfilled, and the groom has abundantly lavished the goods of salvation.
The evangelist can therefore conclude, revealing the exceptional depth of the narrated episode: “Jesus did this as the beginning of signs, he manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him” (v. 11). In this very dense text, Mary initially appears as “the mother of Jesus”: the title is repeated three times (vv. 1, 3, 5). But it is not this traditionally accepted fact that the evangelist intends to emphasize: he is concerned to highlight the presence of the ‘woman’ alongside Jesus, at the service of her Son’s mission and the faith of the disciples. She, as a mother, becomes a disciple of Christ, moving from a contingent request – “they have no wine” – to a total adherence of faith; indeed, to a work of mediation – similar to that of Moses – for the benefit of the Lord’s servants and faithfulness to the covenant. As a ‘woman’, she has a mission – in continuity with the ancient Daughter of Zion – at the service of all God’s people, but this will appear more clearly in the scene of Calvary. Finally, the mother of Jesus, through her faith, is the first of the Lord’s disciples, of those who, welcoming Jesus’ word, constitute the community of the new covenant. She – together with the disciples who have become believers – is the true bride of the One who, beyond symbols, is the groom of the Church and of humanity: Jesus, the Word of God made flesh.
2. Mary at the Cross
The passage from John 19:25-27 is truly a remarkable scene, set at the heart of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. Its importance emerges from the depth of the passage, the context of the hour, and its relationship to the episode at Cana. Let us begin with the latter.
2.1. Cana and the Cross
The wedding scene (Jn 2,1-12) not only announces and, to some extent, anticipates the Calvary scene, but also draws its full meaning from it and 6 / 11 reveals its exceptional depth. Placed at the beginning and end of the Gospel, they constitute two key episodes, fundamental not only for understanding the figure and role of Mary, but also for John’s message itself. The two carefully orchestrated scenes appear clearly parallel. The characters are the same: Jesus, at the beginning and the completion of his work, Jesus’ mother, and the disciples, represented on the cross by the ‘beloved disciple’. In both cases, the Virgin is not presented by her personal name, but by that of “mother of Jesus” and then of “woman”, a title never used by a son towards his mother! In both passages, the hour of Jesus is spoken of, which has not yet come at Cana (cf. 2:4) and is fulfilled on Calvary (cf. 19:27). Both the episode at Cana and that of the Cross are followed by the same expression: “After this…” (2:12; 19:28), a formula that is not simply temporal, but consequential-causal, which in the context reveals notable importance:
v. 2:12: “After this” there is a community of faith gathered around Jesus;
v. 19:27: “After this” all things are accomplished.
We can say, in general, that if Cana presents itself under the sign of the hour not yet come, the Cross constitutes the fulfillment of the hour. If Cana was the “beginning”, the archetype of signs, on the Cross is the sign par excellence – the exaltation of the Son of Man – which reveals the glory of God and confirms the disciples in faith.
2.2. The Context of Jesus’ Hour.
The scene of John 19:25-27 is illuminated by the comparison with Cana but reveals its exceptional depth in the immediate context of Jesus’ ‘acts’ on the cross (John 19:17-37). These are five episodes that unfold the final phase of the Passion:
– the inscription of the title on the cross (vv. 19-22);
– the division of the garments (vv. 23-24);
– the words to the mother and the disciple (vv. 25-27);
– the completion of the work entrusted by the Father (vv. 28-30);
– the piercing of the side (vv. 31-17).
Our pericope, as we see, is at the center of the supreme events of Jesus’ hour, all highly symbolic and of exceptional theological significance. The profound unity of these scenes and their importance cannot be overstated since the evangelist presents them as the mysterious fulfillment of the Scriptures. They cannot therefore be read on a superficial, phenomenological 7 / 11 level, but must be understood as the definitive Paschal revelation. Indeed, it seems that our very episode features a scene of revelation, in which the true identity of Jesus’ mother and the beloved disciple is revealed. Despite the presence of other people, at the center of the Calvary scene are – as noted – three protagonists:
– Jesus, who in his regal majesty as the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, communicates the supreme revelations and gives the final dispositions of his will;
– the mother, who, unlike at Cana, does not speak, but is the center of attention as the principal repository of the Son’s will. She is named four times as the mother of Jesus, once as the mother of the disciple, and once as ‘woman’. –
The disciple, not initially mentioned among those standing at the cross, but later made the recipient, like Mary, of the Master’s gift. In terms of frequency, the most emphasized figure is the mother. She appears first and foremost as the mother of Jesus, but also as the woman, mother of the disciple. The disciple, in turn, is not only the one who follows the Master and is loved by him, but – precisely because of this – is also the son of the ‘woman’. While motherhood toward Jesus is traditionally accepted, the title ‘woman’ and motherhood toward the disciple require explanation.
2.3. The Beloved Disciple
As always in the Fourth Gospel, and especially in these scenes of the Passion, one cannot limit oneself to a material and therefore superficial understanding of the message. The scene in John 19:25-27 does not constitute a simple act of family piety towards a mother who was left alone, as is often claimed, especially in non-Catholic circles. This contradicts the text itself, which emphasizes first and foremost the presence and role of the mother (“Woman, behold, your son”), and only secondarily and as a consequence, entrusts the mother to the disciple. Moreover, the relationships between them are not in the order of nature, but of generation according to the spirit. Who then is the disciple? He is both a person and a symbol.
According to R. Bultmann, the words of Jesus solemnly lifted up on the cross have essentially the same meaning as those addressed to the Father in the priestly prayer of John 17:20ff: “I do not pray for them alone, but also for 8 / 11 those who will believe in me through their word”2. According to M. Dibelius, the beloved disciple also expresses “the type of disciples”: the man of faith, the witness of the cross, “the son of the mother of Jesus, that is, the representative of the disciples who, with their position in relation to God, have also become brothers of Jesus (20:17)”3. Note that the disciple, in our text, is named three times (vv. 26-27) and always with the definite article, so to speak, in an emphatic form: the beloved disciple represents all those who have believed and welcomed Jesus. They constitute the new people of God: they are the community of those redeemed by the sacrifice of the Lamb whose bone must not be broken (cf. vv. 33, 36); they are the Church born from the blood and water, flowing from the side of the Redeemer (v. 34), the new Eve taken from the side of the new Adam sleeping on the cross.
2.4. The ‘Woman’, Mother of the Children of God
The woman, consequently, is the mother of the disciple and of the disciples, indeed of the community of all those who were scattered and for whom Jesus died. “For he had to die… to gather into one the dispersed children of God” (Jn 11:51ff). In Old Testament thought, the dispersed children of God are the children of Israel exiled among the Gentiles because of their sins (cf. in particular Deut. 4:25-27; 28:62-66; 30:1-4). The Lord, who had scattered them among the peoples, far from their land, will lead them back to their country and their home. He will make the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah one people and a descendant of David will be their shepherd (cf. Ex 34:23-24; 37:24). With them she will make a new covenant, mediated by a mysterious “servant” of God (cf. Ex 42:6; 49:8) who will offer his life as a ransom for the multitudes (cf. 53:10f). All the nations will then come and gather in Jerusalem, which will become the mother of countless children (cf. Is 49:19-20; 60:1-9; Tob 32:12f). Already the bride of God – abandoned because of her infidelities and deprived of her children – she will see the return of the Lord and will welcome within her walls innumerable descendants. It will be a prodigious and universal motherhood.
The city and its people are frequently represented by the symbol of a woman, bride and mother, and by the title of ‘daughter of Zion’, invited to rejoice – 2 R. BULTMANN, The Gospel of John. A Commentary, Oxford 1971, 483. 3 M. DIBELIUS, Eine Studie zum Traditionsproblems des Johannesevangeliums, in Festgabe für A. Deismann, Tübingen 1927, 178. 4 JOHN CRYSOSTOM, Catech. 3, 19; SC 50, 177. 9 / 11 after great suffering – in the redemption and return of her children. “In the eyes of the first Christian generation, the mother of Jesus was the ideal incarnation of the ‘daughter of Zion’. In her, an individual person, the vocation of Zion-Jerusalem and of all Israel, the people of the Covenant, matured in an exemplary way”.
Against this background, the beloved disciple represents all the redeemed, and Mary, the woman-daughter of Zion, symbolizes the community of the covenant, mother of the children of God once scattered and now gathered in unity. Mary is not only a figure of the ancient daughter of Zion, in whom, however, the splendid promises were only partially and temporarily realized: she inaugurates, as the first fruits, the vocation of the new Zion, the community of the New Testament, mother of all the Lord’s disciples. Precisely because she is the mother of Christ, “the firstborn of many brethren” (Rom 8:29), Mary is the mother of all those who are reborn through faith in him. Her motherhood, which began with the birth of Jesus, reaches its fullness on Calvary. As can be seen, the episode in John 19:25-27 goes far beyond a simple domestic scene, an act of filial care on the part of Jesus.
2.5. The Mother’s Welcome.
Faced with this motherhood, a gift-revelation from the Master, the disciple is called to an attitude of faith, to a vital adherence, to a decision that arises from the depths of his freedom: a free decision but not an optional one. The beloved disciple cannot refuse his Lord’s gift. The mother’s welcome is one of the hallmarks of a true disciple of Christ. And “from that hour” (v. 27), the disciple welcomed her “into his home” (eis tà ídia). The hour of the mother’s welcome – which is not so much a chronological indication but a theological moment – coincides – and is of great significance – with the fulfillment of Jesus’ hour. The expression “after this”, with which the following verse begins (v. 28) does not seem – as has been noted – to be a simple transitional formula, but is intended to underline a close connection between what precedes and what follows. “After this – in consequence of this – Jesus, knowing that all was finished, that the Scripture might be 5 A. SERRA, E c’era la madre di Gesù (Gv 2,1). Saggi di esegesi biblico-mariana (1978-1988), Milano- Roma 1989, p. 43. 6 Cf. A. VALENTINI, Maria secondo le Scritture, Bologna 2007, 320-324. 10 / 11 fulfilled, says…” (v. 28). As can be seen, it is particularly solemn language, in the characteristic Johannine style, which places our episode at the culmination of the hour established by the Father and as a seal on the saving work. With the gift of revelation of Mary as the mother of believers and with her acceptance by the disciple, Jesus’ work is accomplished. These are splendid and grandiose visions which emerge from the depths of John’s Gospel. The genius of Origen had already intuited them: no one can grasp the meaning of the fourth Gospel unless they have leaned on Jesus’ chest and received Mary as their mother from Jesus. In light of the episode of Mary at the cross, the mysterious sign of Cana is also illuminated. The meaning of the wedding and of the hour, and the role of that woman in the life of the Lord’s disciples, are better understood.
Conclusion
There are, therefore, several specific traits that characterize the figure of Mary in the Gospel of John: now, having come to the end of our journey, we call to mind some of the most significant ones. Her name, ‘Mary’, is never mentioned; the fact that she is ‘the mother of Jesus’ is emphasized. Mary is present at the beginning and end of Jesus’ work and interacts not only with Jesus, but also with people and Jesus’ disciples. This last trait is significant: in John, Mary is included in the relationship between Jesus and others. This is both at the very beginning and end of his work. At Cana, she cares for the couple and their guests, communicates their needs to Jesus, and directs them to Jesus. Beginning on the cross, Jesus binds his mother to his beloved disciple as a mother to her son. This mutual relationship is determined by Jesus and is grounded in their personal relationship with Jesus.
As already mentioned, in John, Jesus’ public activity began when his mother spoke to him (2:3). Jesus concludes it when he addresses his mother and the beloved disciple (19:26-27). From the cross, Mary and the disciple receive the task of being mother and son to one another. They do not cease to be respectively the mother of Jesus and the disciple of Jesus. Precisely as the mother of Jesus, Mary is the mother of the disciple. For him, she symbolizes the incarnation of the Son of God and his journey to the completion of his work; she is a living sign of salvation. She presents to Jesus 7 ORIGEN, Commentary on John, I, 4; PG 14, 32. 11 / 11 the needs of all (2:3) and directs all to listen to Jesus and to put his word into practice. The disciple’s behavior towards the mother of Jesus is described thus: “And from that hour the disciple took her as his home” (19:27). What is proper to the disciple is not his property or his material possession. He is explicitly characterized as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. What is truly special to him above all else is his relationship with Jesus: the fact that Jesus loves him and that he believes in Jesus. The disciple introduces Mary to what is truly special to him, that is, his relationship with Jesus; he honors and respects her as the mother of Jesus. Mary gave birth to Jesus for earthly life, for communion with mortals, and she refers to the one through whom life and joy come to these followers. Thus, she is the mother of Jesus and the mother of Jesus’ disciples.
Fr. Germano Scaglioni OFMConv
