Friday of the Twenty-second Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 435
Lectionary: 435
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the Body, the Church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the Blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the Body, the Church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the Blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5
R. (2b) Come
with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
For he is good,
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
For he is good,
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
AlleluiaJN 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.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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.'"
"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.'"
Meditation: The
unity of the new and the old
Which
comes first, fasting or feasting? The disciples of John the Baptist were upset
with Jesus' disciples because they did not fast. Fasting was one of the three
most important religious duties, along with prayer and almsgiving. Jesus gave a
simple explanation. There's a time for fasting and a time for feasting (or
celebrating).
A
time to weep and fast - a time to rejoice and celebrate
To walk as a disciple with Jesus is to experience a whole new joy of relationship akin to the joy of the wedding party in celebrating with the groom and bride their wedding bliss. But there also comes a time when the Lord's disciples must bear the cross of affliction and purification. For the disciple there is both a time for rejoicing in the Lord's presence and celebrating his goodness and a time for seeking the Lord with humility and fasting and for mourning over sin. Do you take joy in the Lord's presence with you and do you express sorrow and contrition for your sins?
To walk as a disciple with Jesus is to experience a whole new joy of relationship akin to the joy of the wedding party in celebrating with the groom and bride their wedding bliss. But there also comes a time when the Lord's disciples must bear the cross of affliction and purification. For the disciple there is both a time for rejoicing in the Lord's presence and celebrating his goodness and a time for seeking the Lord with humility and fasting and for mourning over sin. Do you take joy in the Lord's presence with you and do you express sorrow and contrition for your sins?
A
mind closed to God's wisdom
Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about the problem of the "closed mind" that refuses to learn new things. Jesus used an image familiar to his audience - new and old wine skins. In Jesus' times, wine was stored in wine skins, not bottles. New wine poured into skins was still fermenting. The gases exerted gave pressure. New wine skins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wine skins easily burst because they became hard as they aged. What did Jesus mean by this comparison?
Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about the problem of the "closed mind" that refuses to learn new things. Jesus used an image familiar to his audience - new and old wine skins. In Jesus' times, wine was stored in wine skins, not bottles. New wine poured into skins was still fermenting. The gases exerted gave pressure. New wine skins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wine skins easily burst because they became hard as they aged. What did Jesus mean by this comparison?
The
Old Testament points to the New - the New Testament fulfills the Old
Are we to reject the old in place of the new? Just as there is a right place and a right time for fasting and for feasting, so there is a right place for the old as well as the new. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old (Matthew 13:52).
Are we to reject the old in place of the new? Just as there is a right place and a right time for fasting and for feasting, so there is a right place for the old as well as the new. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old (Matthew 13:52).
A
very common expression, dating back to the early beginnings of the Christian
church, states that the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old
Testament is unveiled in the New - the two shed light on each other. The
New Testament does not replace the Old - rather it unveils and brings into full
light the hidden meaning and signs which foreshadow and point to God's plan of
redemption which he would accomplish through his Son, Jesus Christ. How
impoverished we would be if we only had the Old Testament or the New Testament,
rather than both.
New
"wine" of the Holy Spirit
The Lord Jesus gives us wisdom so we can make the best use of both the old and the new. He doesn't want us to hold rigidly to the past and to be resistant to the new action of his Holy Spirit in our lives. He wants our minds and hearts to be like the new wine skins - open and ready to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Are you eager to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God's word and plan for your life?
The Lord Jesus gives us wisdom so we can make the best use of both the old and the new. He doesn't want us to hold rigidly to the past and to be resistant to the new action of his Holy Spirit in our lives. He wants our minds and hearts to be like the new wine skins - open and ready to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Are you eager to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God's word and plan for your life?
"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
Quote from the early church fathers: Christ will send you wise men and
scribes, by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.
"A
scribe is one who, through continual reading of the Old and New Testaments, has
laid up for himself a storehouse of knowledge. Thus Christ blesses those who
have gathered in themselves the education both of the law and of the gospel, so
as to 'bring forth from their treasure things both new and old.' And Christ
compares such people with a scribe, just as in another place he says, 'I will
send you wise men and scribes' (Matthew 23:34)" (excerpt from FRAGMENT
172)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, LUKE 5:33-39
Weekday
(Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 100)
KEY VERSE: "Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins" (v. 38).
TO KNOW: Jesus had come to establish a new covenant between God and his people. When the religious leaders complained that Jesus and his disciples did not fast as they and John's disciples did, Jesus compared his relationship with his followers to a marriage. He said that when the bridegroom was present, it was a time for rejoicing. When Jesus returned to his Father, the Church would mourn and fast until they were reunited with him. Jesus used two images to contrast the old and new religion. It was futile to patch an old cloak with new material; likewise, old brittle wineskins could not contain the new fermenting wine of the Spirit that Jesus had come to offer. However, many people preferred the old wine of the law.
TO LOVE: Am I content with a status-quo faith?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be open to the new things you are doing in my life.
Weekday
(Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 100)
KEY VERSE: "Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins" (v. 38).
TO KNOW: Jesus had come to establish a new covenant between God and his people. When the religious leaders complained that Jesus and his disciples did not fast as they and John's disciples did, Jesus compared his relationship with his followers to a marriage. He said that when the bridegroom was present, it was a time for rejoicing. When Jesus returned to his Father, the Church would mourn and fast until they were reunited with him. Jesus used two images to contrast the old and new religion. It was futile to patch an old cloak with new material; likewise, old brittle wineskins could not contain the new fermenting wine of the Spirit that Jesus had come to offer. However, many people preferred the old wine of the law.
TO LOVE: Am I content with a status-quo faith?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be open to the new things you are doing in my life.
Friday 6 September 2019
Ember Day. Day of penance.
Colossians 1:15-20. Psalm 99(100):2-5. Luke 5:33-39.
Come with joy into the presence of the Lord – Psalm 99(100):2-5
‘God wanted all perfection to be found in him’
Colossians 1:15-20. Psalm 99(100):2-5. Luke 5:33-39.
Come with joy into the presence of the Lord – Psalm 99(100):2-5
‘God wanted all perfection to be found in him’
Paul describes Christ as the image of the invisible God. In
Jesus, the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. In Jesus, God is home. Home for
us, in the best sense, is the place we belong and can be truly ourselves. As
God dwells fully in Christ, so too do we dwell in God. This is a source of
exuberant joy, as we read in the psalm. A joy such as we see and hear in a
laughing toddler who expresses delight in her developing senses and the world
around her. This leaping upward, the joy of God within our hearts is witnessed
again in Jesus’ disciples who feast rather than fast. Jesus, the main event, is
among them and the time of fasting is yet to come. Throughout the Season of
Creation in September especially, we discover and celebrate life in its
spectacular diversity and beauty. Within God whose love is limitless, we are
joyful, we are home.
Blessed Claudio Granzotto
Saint of the Day for September 6
(August 23, 1900 – August 15, 1947)
Blessed Claudio Granzotto’s Story
Born in Santa Lucia del Piave near Venice, Claudio was the
youngest of nine children and was accustomed to hard work in the fields. At the
age of 9, he lost his father. Six years later, he was drafted into the Italian
army, where he served more than three years.
His artistic abilities, especially in sculpture, led to studies
at Venice’s Academy of Fine Arts, which awarded him a diploma with the highest
marks in 1929. Even then he was especially interested in religious art. When
Claudio entered the Friars Minor four years later, his parish priest wrote,
“The Order is receiving not only an artist but a saint.” Prayer, charity to the
poor, and artistic work characterized his life which was cut short by a brain
tumor. He died on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1947, and was
beatified in 1994. His Liturgical Feast Day is March 23.
Reflection
Claudio developed into such an excellent sculptor that his work
still turns people toward God. No stranger to adversity, he met every obstacle
courageously, reflecting the generosity, faith, and joy that he learned from
Francis of Assisi.
Lectio Divina: Luke 5:33-39
Lectio Divina
Friday, September 6, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from You.
Fill our hearts with love for You,
increase our faith,
and by Your constant care
protect the good You have given us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
every good thing comes from You.
Fill our hearts with love for You,
increase our faith,
and by Your constant care
protect the good You have given us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - 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.'"
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we witness closely a conflict between Jesus
and the religious authority of the time, the scribes and the Pharisees (Lk
5:3). This time the conflict concerns the practice of fasting. Luke narrates
diverse conflicts concerning the religious practice of the time: forgiveness of
sins (Lk 5:21-25), to eat with sinners (Lk 5:29-32), fasting (Lk 5:33-36), and
two conflicts on the observance of Saturday, the Sabbath (Lk 6:1-5 and Lk
6:6-11).
• Luke 5:33: Jesus does not insist on the practice of fasting. The conflict here is concerning the practice of fasting. Fasting is a very ancient custom, practiced by almost all religions. Jesus Himself followed it for forty days (Mt 4:2). But He does not insist with the disciples that they do the same. He leaves them free. This is why the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting.
• Luke 5:34-35: When the bridegroom is with them they are not obliged to fast. Jesus responds with a comparison. When the bridegroom is with the friends of the bridegroom, that is, during the wedding feast, they should not fast. Jesus considers Himself the bridegroom. During the time when Jesus is with the disciples, it is the wedding feast. The day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, if they wish, they can fast. Jesus refers to His death. He knows and He is aware that if He wants to continue along this path of liberty, the authorities will want to kill Him.
Several times in the Old Testament, God presents Himself as the bridegroom of the people (Is 49:15; 54: 5,8; 62:4-5; Hos 2:16-25). In the New Testament, Jesus is considered the bridegroom of His people (Eph 5:25). The Apocalypses speaks of the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb with His spouse, the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 19: 7-8; 21: 2,9).
• Luke 5:36-39: New Wine in new skins! These words pronounced concerning the new piece of cloth on an old cloak and about new wine in old skins should be understood like a light which gives clarity to diverse conflicts, narrated by Luke, first and after the discussions concerning fasting. They clarify the attitude of Jesus concerning all the conflicts with the religious authorities. Nowadays these would be conflicts such as these: marriage between divorced persons, friendship with prostitutes and homosexuals, receiving communion without being married in the Church, not to go to Mass on Sunday, not to fast on Good Friday, etc.
A piece of new cloth is not sewn on an old cloak, because when it is washed the new piece of cloth shrinks and tears the old cloak more. Nobody puts new wine in old skins, because the new wine, when it is fermented, makes the old skins burst. New wine in new skins! The religion taught by the religious authorities was like an old cloak, like an old skin. It is not necessary to want to combine the novelty brought by Jesus with old customs or uses. Either one or the other! The new wine which Jesus brings bursts the old skins. It is necessary to know how to separate both of these things. Very probably, Luke provides these words of Jesus to give direction to the communities of the years 80. There was a group of Christian Jews who wanted to reduce the novelty of Jesus to the Judaism of the beginning. Jesus is not against what is “ancient.” But He does not want the ancient to be imposed on the new, preventing it from manifesting itself. It would be as if the Catholic Church reduced the message of Vatican Council II to the pre-Vatican II practices, as many people today seem to want to do.
• Luke 5:33: Jesus does not insist on the practice of fasting. The conflict here is concerning the practice of fasting. Fasting is a very ancient custom, practiced by almost all religions. Jesus Himself followed it for forty days (Mt 4:2). But He does not insist with the disciples that they do the same. He leaves them free. This is why the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting.
• Luke 5:34-35: When the bridegroom is with them they are not obliged to fast. Jesus responds with a comparison. When the bridegroom is with the friends of the bridegroom, that is, during the wedding feast, they should not fast. Jesus considers Himself the bridegroom. During the time when Jesus is with the disciples, it is the wedding feast. The day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, if they wish, they can fast. Jesus refers to His death. He knows and He is aware that if He wants to continue along this path of liberty, the authorities will want to kill Him.
Several times in the Old Testament, God presents Himself as the bridegroom of the people (Is 49:15; 54: 5,8; 62:4-5; Hos 2:16-25). In the New Testament, Jesus is considered the bridegroom of His people (Eph 5:25). The Apocalypses speaks of the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb with His spouse, the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 19: 7-8; 21: 2,9).
• Luke 5:36-39: New Wine in new skins! These words pronounced concerning the new piece of cloth on an old cloak and about new wine in old skins should be understood like a light which gives clarity to diverse conflicts, narrated by Luke, first and after the discussions concerning fasting. They clarify the attitude of Jesus concerning all the conflicts with the religious authorities. Nowadays these would be conflicts such as these: marriage between divorced persons, friendship with prostitutes and homosexuals, receiving communion without being married in the Church, not to go to Mass on Sunday, not to fast on Good Friday, etc.
A piece of new cloth is not sewn on an old cloak, because when it is washed the new piece of cloth shrinks and tears the old cloak more. Nobody puts new wine in old skins, because the new wine, when it is fermented, makes the old skins burst. New wine in new skins! The religion taught by the religious authorities was like an old cloak, like an old skin. It is not necessary to want to combine the novelty brought by Jesus with old customs or uses. Either one or the other! The new wine which Jesus brings bursts the old skins. It is necessary to know how to separate both of these things. Very probably, Luke provides these words of Jesus to give direction to the communities of the years 80. There was a group of Christian Jews who wanted to reduce the novelty of Jesus to the Judaism of the beginning. Jesus is not against what is “ancient.” But He does not want the ancient to be imposed on the new, preventing it from manifesting itself. It would be as if the Catholic Church reduced the message of Vatican Council II to the pre-Vatican II practices, as many people today seem to want to do.
4) Personal questions
• Which conflicts about religious practices cause
suffering to people today and are the cause of much discussion and
polemics? What is the underlying image of God in all these preconceptions,
norms and prohibitions?
• How can we understand today Jesus’ statement: “do not put a new piece of cloth on an old cloak?” What is the message which you can draw from this for your life and for the life of the community?
• How can we understand today Jesus’ statement: “do not put a new piece of cloth on an old cloak?” What is the message which you can draw from this for your life and for the life of the community?
5) Concluding Prayer
Commit your destiny to Yahweh,
be confident in Him, and He will act,
making your uprightness clear as daylight,
and the justice of your cause as the noon. (Ps 37:5-6)
be confident in Him, and He will act,
making your uprightness clear as daylight,
and the justice of your cause as the noon. (Ps 37:5-6)
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