Friday of 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
CREATED ANEW IN CHRIST
We will be trustworthy stewards of God’s mysteries if we live according to the gospel and serve God and people, rather than seek security in outward observances and lip service.
We are created anew in Christ, the Lord and the new beginning of all. With Christ, we have to renounce all compromises with the old in us and live in the new spirit of Christ. How well have we accepted the renewal that Vatican II asks of us?
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God’s most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I’m not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn’t mean much. The Master makes that judgment.
So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the “Well done!” of God.
Gospel: Luke 5:33-39
They asked him, “John’s disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?”
Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but this isn’t the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!
“No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.”
Prayer
Faithful God of tenderness and mercy,
you want us to be your people
on the march with Jesus your Son
toward a new future of justice and love.
Do not allow us to suffocate in being contented
with old habits and sluggish ways.
Help us to accept the pain
of leaving the familiar behind us
and open us to the challenge of the gospel
to become more like your Son
who guides our faltering steps,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reflection:
2 September 2022
Luke 5: 33-39
A call to be happy
Food – what type of food, how it is eaten and when it is eaten had often become subjects of litigation. The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of being a glutton. He was accused of eating and drinking with tax collectors and public sinners.
In today’s Gospel, they raise the issue of fasting. Fasting was seen as a symbol of religious superiority. They regarded those who fasted as holier than the rest. That is why they compare the disciples of Jesus with the those of John the Baptist and of the pharisees. How could Jesus advocate his disciples not to follow the traditions on fasting?
The new Kingdom that Jesus establishes is expressed in the symbolism of the wedding banquet where guests are gathered together to celebrate and to share the joyful moments with the groom. It is not a moment to be sad. With the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, all things are new, we cannot be tied to the outdated past, that still asks us to be waiting. John the Baptist and his disciples for sure had a reason to fast – because John was anticipating the coming of the Messiah. Fasting was a way of preparation to receive him.
The Jews have totally missed the point and demanded a continuation of the past traditions. Jesus wants to clarify with them that the Messiah that they have been waiting for is already here. The time of fasting and time of preparation have already passed. Now is the time to cherish every moment that we live in the presence of the Messiah just as the wedding guests cherish their moments of joy together with the bride groom.
To follow Jesus is to accept him totally, to think like Jesus, to be merciful like him; to feel like Jesus to know the pains and emotions of people; to love like Jesus and forgive even those who hate us, who do us harm; and also to suffer like Jesus, willingly laying down our lives for the life of the other. There is nothing called partial belief or partial faith in Jesus. No patchwork is possible where we accept some portions of Jesus while we continue with our old ways of life. St. Paul would remind us to remove our old self completely and put on the new person of Christ.
Since the source of joy is Jesus himself, the bridegroom at the wedding, this joy is the fruit of the Spirit. When we sit at the Lord’s table and drink the new wine of the New Covenant, we overflow with joy to be with this spouse, Jesus, who makes us happy. We are called to be joyful people – people of the resurrection – people of happiness.