Daily Readings - Mon Jan 20 2025
Hebrews
1For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:2Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.3And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.4And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.6As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Mark
18And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?19And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.21No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.22And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
Sermon
The first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews presents Jesus Christ as the ultimate High Priest, who, unlike the priests of the Old Covenant, does not need to offer sacrifices for his own sins because he is sinless. Instead, he offers himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. The reading emphasizes that Christ’s priesthood is not based on lineage or human appointment but on his divine calling by God. It also highlights that Christ’s priesthood is eternal, in the order of Melchizedek, and that through his suffering and obedience, he has become the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
In the Gospel, Mark recounts a moment when Jesus is questioned about why his disciples do not fast like the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. Jesus responds with a parable about the groom and the days of celebration, explaining that as long as he, the bridegroom, is with them, it is not a time for fasting. He also uses the imagery of new cloth and new wine to illustrate that his message and way of life cannot be confined to the old traditions and practices of the past. The old must give way to the new, just as new wine requires new wineskins to hold it without bursting.
These readings remind us that our faith is rooted in the newness and uniqueness of Christ’s mission. Jesus is not simply a reformer of the old covenant but the one who brings a entirely new way of relating to God. Just as the old wineskins cannot contain the new wine, our old ways of thinking and living must give way to the fresh, life-giving message of the Gospel. In our daily lives, this means being open to the renewal that Christ offers, trusting that his way is better than our own, and being willing to let go of the past in order to embrace the future he has in store for us. Let us, like Christ, learn obedience through our struggles and trust in the eternal salvation he has won for us.