Daily Readings - Mon Jan 16 2023
Hebrews
1For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.2He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.3Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.4And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.5So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you";6as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Mark
18Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"19And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins--and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of priesthood, sacrifice, and the newness that Christ brings to our lives. In the first reading from Hebrews, we hear about the role of the high priest, who is chosen by God to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. The author emphasizes that the high priest must be able to empathize with the weaknesses of others because he, too, is human. This sets the stage for understanding Jesus as the ultimate High Priest, who, though sinless, humbled himself and learned obedience through suffering. His priesthood is not like that of the old covenant but is eternal and rooted in the order of Melchizedek, a mysterious figure who prefigured Christ’s priesthood.
In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus responding to the question about why his disciples do not fast. Jesus uses the image of the groom and the wedding to explain that as long as he is with them, it is a time of joy, not fasting. He then uses parables about patching old clothes with new cloth and putting new wine into old wineskins to illustrate that the old ways cannot contain the new life he brings. This teaching challenges us to embrace the fresh and transformative nature of the Kingdom of God, rather than trying to fit it into outdated practices or mindsets.
These readings remind us that our faith is not about clinging to the past but about embracing the newness of life in Christ. Jesus, as the High Priest and the Bridegroom, calls us to live in the present with hope and openness to the Spirit. In our daily lives, this means being willing to let go of old habits or ways of thinking that no longer serve us, and instead, to trust in God’s plan to renew and transform us. Let us ask for the grace to be open to the new wine and new cloth that Christ offers, so that we may live as people of hope and joy, reflecting the eternal salvation he has won for us.