First reading Hebrews 5:1-10
Although he was Son, he learned to obey through suffering
Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever. During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 109(110):1-4
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old
The Lord’s revelation to my Master: ‘Sit on my right:
I will put your foes beneath your feet.’
The Lord will send from Zion your sceptre of power:
Rule in the midst of all your foes.
A prince from the day of your birth on the holy mountain;
From the womb before the daybreak I begot you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
‘You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.’
Gospel Mark 2:18-22
Why do your disciples not fast?’
One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!’
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Jesus, the bridegroom and the new wine
In today’s gospel, Jesus identified Himself as the bridegroom. Today, He presents Himself to each one of us as the bridegroom whose presence brings us complete joy. This is the reason of our Christian joy: Christ is with us and is in love with us. Pope Francis, in his homily, said, “The Christian is joyful in heart, even in trials; he is joyful because he is close to Jesus: it is He who gives us joy” (13th December 2020). Jesus is our faithful bridegroom. Let us stay close to Him and open our hearts to receive His presence which brings joy to us.
Jesus is also the new wine who brings newness to our lives. We sometimes think we know many things about our faith, and few things would surprise us. However, Jesus, the Word of God, is always new and speaks to the realities we live here and now. We are called to be new wineskins, ready to accept the newness that Jesus brings us.
Reflective question:
Am I open to receiving Jesus and all He wants to bring to me today?
Am I open to receiving Jesus and all He wants to bring to me today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD
