In vain, then, have Protestants tried to find, in these words of our Lord, anything derogatory to the dignity of His Blessed Mother. To every interpretation which would give such a sense to His words, we may answer, with St. Justin, Martyr: “Non verbo matrem objurgavit qui facto honoravit.” “He reproved not His mother by what He said who honoured her by what He did.” *My hour is not yet come.* In our interpretation it is easy to explain these words. His hour is not the hour of His death, nor the time when the want of wine would be fully felt, but the time at which, according to the ordinary providence of God, and prescinding from His Mother’s suggestion, His public miracles were to begin. 5. Dicit mater eius ministris: 5. His mother saith to the Quodcumque dixerit vobis, waiters: Whatsoever he shall facite. say to you, do ye. 5. *Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.* These are not the words of one whose suggestion had been reproved and rejected. 6. Erant autem ibi lapideae 6. Now there were set there hydriae sex positae secundum six waterpots of stone, purificationem Iudaeorum, according to the manner of the capientes singulae metretas purifying of the Jews, binas vel ternas. containing two or three measures a‐piece. 6. For the custom of the Jews in the matter of ablutions, see Matt. xv. 2; Mark vii. 2‐5. The μετρητής was a Greek liquid measure, containing about nine gallons, or, to be accurate, eight gallons 7.4 pints. There were six jars, or water‐pots, each containing two or three measures. If each jar contained two measures, the whole quantity of wine miraculously provided would be = 6 × 2 × 9 = 108 gallons. If each contained three measures, the whole would be = 6 × 3 × 9 = 162 gallons. The quantity of wine miraculously produced was therefore very great, being at least about 108 gallons. It is absurd, however, to seek in this miracle of our Divine Lord any excuse for intemperance. As well might God be accused of conniving at intemperance, because He fills the grape each year with the moisture of earth and heaven, and then transmutes this into the nobler juices which He knows man will convert into wine. He gives in every case, that we may use, not that we may abuse. If the quantity of wine miraculously provided on this occasion was large, we ought to remember that the marriage feast lasted for a week; that there were probably many guests present, whose number was considerably increased by the invitation, at the last moment, of Christ and His disciples on their arrival from Judea; that others would probably be attracted now by the fame of this miracle, and the desire to see Him who had wrought it; and, finally, that the quantity of the wine made the miracle more striking.