Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 435
Reading 1
1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgement on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore, do not make any judgement before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Responsorial Psalm
PsalmS 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
Criminals are destroyed
and the posterity of the wicked is cut off.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Alleluia
John 8:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”
Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflection
Courage to Change
“Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” Luke 5:37–39
This short parable comes at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He just called Levi, the tax collector, to become one of His disciples, and then Levi invited Jesus to dine at his home with other tax collectors and sinners. When the scribes and Pharisees saw this, they objected and challenged our Lord. In response, Jesus tells this parable as a way of explaining that He came to call everyone to change and to experience a new transformation of their life.
The “new wine” spoken of in this parable is the grace poured forth from the Cross. Remember that blood and water sprung forth from His side as He hung upon the Cross. This has been symbolically understood as the grace and mercy given to us from the Cross, which is transmitted today through the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Baptism transforms us into a new creation, and, as a new creation in Christ, we must desire the new wine of the Most Holy Eucharist so as to be daily transformed by our Lord.
Many of the Church Fathers point out that the “old wine” that many prefer is a reference to those who wanted to continue living according to the old law. This is especially true of the scribes and Pharisees to whom Jesus was speaking this parable. Jesus was bringing them a new teaching and preparing them for a new grace. But they rejected it, preferring the old life they were living.
One thing this tells us is that if we are to receive this new wine of the grace of God, we must be ready and willing to abandon our old selves and become new. Change can be hard. Even as evangelized Christians who are already living in the grace of Christ, we will be continually called to a deeper and deeper change in our lives. Too often we can easily become complacent and content with the life we are living. When that happens, it will hinder our Lord from pouring the new wine of His grace into our souls in ongoing superabundance.
How do you deal with change in life? If you want to grow in holiness, you can be certain that change is the only constant in life. We must become new creations each and every day, growing, being more fully transformed, changing our ways, giving up the old and embracing that which is ever new. This requires a certain amount of courage as we come face-to-face with the daily need to be changed by grace. It means daily death to our old self and daily becoming a new creation in God.
Reflect, today, upon the courage it takes to change. What is it in your life that you may be afraid to change? What “old wine” do you prefer over the “new wine” of God’s grace? What old habits or attachments do you have that our Lord wants you to let go of? Face the changes God wants for you with courage and trust, and You will indeed become more fully the new creation in Christ you are meant to be.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
life in the fast lane
“They will surely fast in those days.” —Luke 5:35
When we are baptized into the new life of Jesus and decide to live our Baptisms, “the old order has passed away; now all is new!” (2 Cor 5:17) Fasting, for example, becomes so new that the Lord uses our fasting to drive out the most entrenched demons (Mt 17:21, NAB), to initiate missionary outreaches (Acts 13:2-3), and to establish leaders for His Church (Acts 14:23). New Testament fasting is often frequent (see 2 Cor 11:27; 6:5) and very prolonged in imitation of Jesus’ forty-day fast (see Mt 4:2). Considering the newness and intensity of New Testament fasting, we would be foolish to fast in Jesus’ name until we have accepted the new wineskin of life in Christ.
So let us repent of any unfaithfulness to our baptismal promises and renew these promises. Let us live the “radical newness” of our Baptisms (Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People, Pope St. John Paul II, 10). Then let us fast accordingly and be part of the Spirit’s renewing of the face of the earth (Ps 104:30).
Prayer: Father, teach me to fast as the early Church fasted.
Promise: “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and manifest the intentions of hearts. At that time, everyone will receive his praise from God.” —1 Cor 4:5
Praise: Rhonda, a home-schooling mother, brings her three children to Mass every day. She and her husband make the Mass and the Sacraments the foundation of their children’s education.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan
Something of the imagery of the wedding feast is to be found in this morning’s gospel reading. Jesus speaks of himself as the bridegroom and he makes reference to wine as a metaphor for his ministry. He speaks not just of wine but of new wine; there is a newness to what he is saying and doing, in comparison to the teaching of the scribes, the experts in the Jewish Law. The new wine of his ministry calls for new wine skins, a new outlook, a new disposition of mind and heart, a readiness to change. Faced with the new wine of Jesus’ ministry some people were saying, to quote the gospel reading, ‘the old is good’. Jesus valued the old, such as the Scriptures of his own people; he frequently quoted the Jewish Scriptures to explain his mission. Yet, he went beyond the old too. In terms of our own faith, we need to hold on to what is of value in the old. The tradition of the church, in the broadest sense of that term, has much to teach us today. Yet, we also need to be open to the Lord’s call to move beyond the old, because the tradition of the faith is a living tradition. It takes new forms in new generations. The Spirit of the Lord will always be moving us on into new territory, and we need to keep on trying to listen to what the Spirit may be saying to the church, to each one of us as members of the church.
Prayers
My most merciful Lord, I know You call me to continual change in my life. Please give me the courage I need to face all that I need to detach from in life and all that hinders me from becoming the glorious new creation You have called me to become. Pour forth Your abundant grace into my life, dear Lord, making me into Your new and glorious creation in grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit, that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth. Help me to seek you earnestly in prayer and fasting that I may turn away from sin and wilfulness and conform my life more fully to your will. May I always find joy in knowing, loving, and serving you.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 249: The Fruit of Suffering
Only after someone has suffered greatly do they begin to understand the good fruits that can come forth from such suffering. In and of itself, suffering is the result of our fallen human condition. But because Jesus entered our human condition, embracing all suffering and redeeming it, suffering now has great power when freely embraced by us and united to the sufferings of Jesus. One good fruit that can come from suffering is spiritual knowledge. When suffering is embraced in Christ and offered to Him as a sacrifice in union with His own Sacrifice, we will find that our suffering clarifies life, puts it in perspective and may even give us the spiritual gift of insight into the souls of others we encounter. This gift of knowledge of other souls will enable us to see their needs and offer the Mercy of God to them in the particular way they need it. Do not be afraid to allow your sufferings to transform you and bestow this gift of knowledge upon you along with the many other gifts God wishes to bestow (See Diary #1277).
Reflect upon how you deal with your own sufferings. Whether it is a small discomfort you feel or an intense interior pain, everything we experience in life can be redeemed and transformed so as to transform us. If you believe this then try to consciously embrace every discomfort and every suffering you endure as a sacrifice to God. Offer it to Him and then allow the purifying effects of this free embrace to produce an abundance of good fruit in your life.
Lord, so often I run from my suffering and deny the redeeming effects that the free embrace of my sufferings can have upon me. Give me courage to say “Yes” to the crosses I am given and to be open to the spiritual fruits that they can produce in my life. I give all to You, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
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