Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.”
The bridegroom is here
1. Fasting. The etymological meaning of fast comes from the Latin word “empty”. It is the action of emptying yourself from the unnecessary, the superfluous. It involve not having something that pleases you, in the sense of mortification. This sacrifice helps the soul grow so that you are able to put a check on selfish or vain ways. Many times, we believe we need certain things when deep down we know that they are not necessary. Fasting helps us realize that we don’t need to hold onto things that don’t lead us to God. The mortification of fasting aims to seek Jesus and to grow closer to Him. When the disciples had Jesus with them, they needed nothing else. Goal achieved! Now, have you achieved that goal? Do you already have Jesus with you? If you don’t, then perhaps it’s necessary to fast. Fasting does not refer solely to food; you have to learn to clear out your life of things that don’t lead you to God. Perhaps, you can fast by limiting the use of your cell phone, your computer or tablet, among other things. The aim of fasting is to control yourself and put your life in order so that you may be closer to Jesus.
2. The old and the new. Whoever meets Jesus and is with Jesus takes on a new life. There is a change, but it requires that you wipe the slate clean in your mind and heart; it implies initiating a change and following a set path. Don’t let the past take over and don’t allow the past to prevent you from planning your future. Seek a new life with Jesus.
3. New wineskins: We are starting a new year and I believe that you should set out goals for yourself and learn to act in a different way in life. Let your life-experience speak through your actions. Don’t fall into the same mistake; give yourself the opportunity to take another step and don’t live with resentment and clinging to the past. Learn to look forward. Assume your mistakes and learn that to live is to discover that there are new opportunities.
Don’t forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
