Daily Readings - Mon Jan 16 2023
Hebrews
1Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. "6And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Mark
18Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"19Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.21"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new 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.