Daily Readings - Fri Sep 07 2018
1 Corinthians
1Accordingly, let man consider us to be ministers of Christ and attendants of the mysteries of God2Here and now, it is required of attendants that each one be found to be faithful3But as for me, it is such a small thing to be judged by you, or by the age of mankind. And neither do I judge myself4For I have nothing on my conscience. But I am not justified by this. For the Lord is the One who judges me5And so, do not choose to judge before the time, until the Lord returns. He will illuminate the hidden things of the darkness, and he will make manifest the decisions of hearts. And then each one shall have praise from God
Luke
33But they said to him, "Why do the disciples of John fast frequently, and make supplications, and those of the Pharisees act similarly, while yours eat and drink?34And he said to them: "How can you cause the sons of the groom to fast, while the groom is still with them35But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast, in those days.36Then he also made a comparison for them: "For no one sews a patch from a new garment onto an old garment. Otherwise, he both disrupts the new one, and the patch from the new one does not join together with the old one37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine ruptures the wineskins, and it will be poured out, and the wineskins will be lost38Instead, the new wine is put into new wineskins, and both are preserved39And no one who is drinking the old, soon wishes for the new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the call to faithfulness and the need to embrace the newness of life in Christ. The first reading from 1 Corinthians encourages us to see ourselves as ministers of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Paul emphasizes that our ultimate judgment comes not from others or even from ourselves, but from the Lord. This calls us to humility and trust in God’s plan, recognizing that true wisdom and justification come from Him alone.
The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus addressing the question of fasting. While John’s disciples and the Pharisees fast, Jesus explains that His disciples cannot fast while the groom is with them. He uses the parables of the patch, the wineskins, and the old and new wine to illustrate that His teachings cannot be confined to the old ways of thinking. Just as new wine requires new wineskins, the Good News of the Kingdom requires open hearts and minds willing to embrace change.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Are we holding onto old habits or ways of thinking that prevent us from fully embracing the new life Christ offers? Let us ask for the grace to be faithful stewards of God’s mysteries and to trust in His judgment. May we also have the courage to let go of the old and receive the newness of life that Jesus brings, allowing His teachings to transform us and guide us in our daily lives.