Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?”

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 2:18-22

 

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from  them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is being challenged by the disciples of John the Baptist regarding fasting. They ask Jesus, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Fasting, along with prayer and almsgiving, were the three major duties of a Jew in the time of Jesus. Jesus simply replied that there is a time to fast and a time to feast. The purpose of fasting, prayer and almsgiving was a way to prepare for the coming of the messiah. Jesus is telling the disciples that the Bridegroom their savior was among them. It was time to celebrate with joy and happiness. Jesus compares himself to the new wine. He tells his disciples, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins.” Jesus tells the disciples that he is the new spirit and should not be confused with the old. The old ways are still valuable, but something new is among them and they need to adopt new ways. This new spirit does not necessarily fit into the old ways and new wine cannot be placed into old wine skins. To walk with Christ is a feast in itself. He brings about a whole new joy that can consume our lives. We do not want to lose the old ways, but bring to them the new joy of Christ.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I walk with joy in the feast of salvation.

Help me to renew my life through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

May I celebrate this Lenten season with the joy in knowing that I can serve you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon