Daily Readings - Fri Sep 03 2021
Colossians
15He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature16For in him was created everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers. All things were created through him and in him17And he is before all, and in him all things continue18And he is the head of his body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that in all things he may hold primacy19For the Father is well-pleased that all fullness reside in him20and that, through him, all things be reconciled to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, for the things that are on earth, as well as the things that are in heaven
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 encounter profound truths about Jesus Christ and the nature of His mission. The first reading from Colossians presents Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, and the head of the Church. This passage emphasizes Christ’s supremacy and role in creation and redemption. The Gospel from Luke, on the other hand, offers a practical lesson about the newness of life in Christ. Jesus responds to criticism about His disciples’ lack of fasting by using parables of the patch, wineskins, and wine, highlighting the incompatibility of old practices with the new life He brings.
The context of these readings is crucial. Colossians was written to a church facing heresies that diminished Christ’s divinity and role in creation. Paul’s emphasis on Christ’s primacy serves to correct such errors. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus addresses critics who are tied to old religious practices, unable to embrace the freedom and joy of the Kingdom He proclaims. Together, these readings remind us that Jesus is both the foundation of all existence and the source of new life that cannot be confined by old ways of thinking or living.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are invited to reflect on our openness to the newness of life in Christ. Jesus calls us to embrace the freedom and joy of the Gospel, rather than clinging to outdated practices or mindsets that stifle growth. The moral lesson here is clear: our faith must be fresh and vibrant, like new wine in new wineskins. We are called to trust in Christ’s transformative power and to live in a way that reflects the renewal He brings to our hearts and lives. Let us, therefore, seek to live as people who are open to the new things God is doing, trusting that Jesus is always the source of true life and renewal.