Filling Up With Joy

Memorial of Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr

And the disiples of John and the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast? And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as 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 shall be taken away from them; and then they shall fast in those days. No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles.
Mark 2:18-22 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father we fast from our sorrow and mourn the loss of your grace, but Jesus is the bridegroom and there is no need for sorrow or mourning. The apostles and disciples were joyous because he was with them. Are we not this way too when we are filled with your Sons presence in our lives. We are joyous. And the time when we are bereft of his presence we mourn for we have caused the tear in our resplendent garment. We often let sin enter and spoil the new garment we had put on. Oh how wretched we are to mar the beauty of our new skins. By your grace and mercy we find joy through repentance and restore the luster of our garments. Washed clean by your Son.

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel is from Mark 2:18-22 where Jesus tells us a parable of the old and new. He gave us an example of sewing a piece of new cloth to old cloth and how it would pull away because it was not shrunken. When we wash this garment after the installation, what happens? The piece we sewed on shrinks but causes the fit to be awkward. Now if we had pre-shrunk the material it would fit nicely. So in a sense we need to prepare ourselves in order for us to fit in with Jesus and God's plan. Next he gives us another example but with wineskins.What he tell us, is that how we are in our life, with sin, we are not capable of receiving new wine. It is with penance that we refresh ourselves to receive new wine (blood of Christ). Where we become in union with our Lord. Just as Jesus is one with the Father, so too shall we when we put on fresh wineskins.