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 109(110):1-4
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
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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New wineskins
When our lives are driven by the simple desire to welcome Jesus’s presence, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Today, we are invited to become like new wineskins, opening ourselves to allow Jesus to transform us from within. Like the Pharisees, we often cling to our old wineskins, preventing us from embracing the new wine that Jesus wants to offer us. We find solace in these familiar forms: our prayer habits, established routines, and our understanding of God and our faith. Perhaps now is the time to let go of those old wineskins and embrace a broader horizon of faith, deepening our relationship with Jesus and living a more genuine discipleship. He calls us always towards growth, towards new life.
Reflective question:
Am I open to the new wine of Christ in my life today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
