Daily Readings - Mon Jan 21 2019
Hebrews
1For every high priest, having been taken from among men, is appointed on behalf of men toward the things which pertain to God, so that he may offer gifts and sacrifices on behalf of sins2he is able to commiserate with those who are ignorant and who wander astray, because he himself is also encompassed by infirmity3And because of this, he also must make such offerings for sins even for himself, in the same manner as for the people4Neither does anyone take up this honor himself, but rather he who is called by God, just as Aaron was5Thus, even Christ did not glorify himself, so as to become High Priest, but instead, it was God who said to him: "You are my Son. Today I have begotten you.6And similarly, he says in another place: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.7It is Christ who, in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offered prayers and supplications to the One who was able to save him from death, and who was heard because of his reverence8And although, certainly, he is the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things that he suffered9And having reached his consummation, he was made, for all who are obedient to him, the cause of eternal salvation10having been called by God to be the High Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek
Mark
18And the disciples of John, and the Pharisees, were fasting. And they arrived and said to him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?19And Jesus said to them: "How can the sons of the wedding fast while the groom is still with them? During whatever time they have the groom with them, they are not able to fast20But the days will arrive when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they shall fast, in those days21No one sews a patch of new cloth onto an old garment. Otherwise, the new addition pulls away from the old, and the tear becomes worse22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the wineskins, and the wine will pour out, and the wineskins will be lost. Instead, new wine must be put into new wineskins.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of Christ’s priesthood and the newness He brings to our lives. In the first reading from Hebrews, we are reminded that Christ, though divine, took on human flesh and suffered, making Him a compassionate High Priest who understands our weaknesses. This emphasizes His unique role as an intermediary between God and humanity, bringing a new dimension to priesthood through His empathy and sacrifice.
In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus addressing questions about fasting. He uses the metaphor of the groom at a wedding to illustrate that His presence brings joy, making fasting inappropriate. He further uses the parables of new cloth and new wine to highlight that His teachings cannot be confined to old traditions; they require a new approach. This underscores the transformative nature of His message, urging us to embrace renewal.
These readings connect by showing Jesus as the bringer of newness—both in His priesthood and His teachings. In our daily lives, this calls us to avoid rigidity and instead be open to change and growth. The moral lesson is one of trusting in God’s plan for renewal, allowing His transformative power to shape our lives anew. Let us embrace this newness with faith, trusting that it leads us closer to God.