Thursday, September 04, 2014

 

Friday 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

September 5, 2014
Friday 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
[Memorial, Blessed Mother Teresa]

1 Cor 4: 1-5 / Ps 37: 3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40 / Lk 5: 33-39

Reading: 1 Cor 4: 1-5
Let everyone then see us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the secret works of God. Being stewards, faithfulness shall be demanded of us; but I do not mind if you or any human court judges me. I do not even judge myself; my conscience indeed does not accuse me of anything, but that is not enough for me to be set right with God: the Lord is the one who judges me. Therefore, do not judge before the time, until the coming of the Lord. He will bring to light whatever was hidden in darkness and will disclose the secret intentions of the hearts. Then each one will receive praise from God.    

Gospel: Lk 5: 33-39 
Some people asked him, "The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it that your disciples eat and drink?" Then Jesus said to them, "You can't make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later the bridegroom will be taken from them, and they will fast in those days." Jesus also told them this parable: "No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece taken from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet no one who has tasted old wine is eager to drink new wine, but says, 'The old is good.'"

Reflection:
     In today's gospel scene, Luke wants to convey to his readers the real meaning and essence of fasting through the dialogue between Jesus and some of his detractors. In Jesus' time, and perhaps even today, people follow the fasting and ascetic practices as a form of devotion. Do we fast because they are part of our church tradition and laws which are handed down through the centuries? For the Jews, fasting is part of their faith tradition, a form of penitential practice or a spiritual preparation as they long for the Messiah promised in their scriptures. Therefore in the presence of the Messiah, there should be rejoicing instead of fasting. On the other hand, Christians through the ages see fasting as a form of denial or emptying of ourselves to better dispose us to receive the Lord whether in Holy Communion or as a Lenten practice leading to our celebration of the Easter Triduum. On the discourse about the wineskins, the evangelist challenges his readers if they are willing to accept the "good news" as proclaimed to them in Jesus' life and person or would they continue to be satisfied with the "old wine"? Today, what would be your response to new situations in your life which the Lord puts before you? Shall you continue with the "old wine"? Or will you open your heart and mind to discern if God is calling you, leading you to a new direction symbolized by the new wine in new wineskins in the gospel?   

Prayer Requests:
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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