Gospel 

Luke 5:33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Sermon

My brothers and sisters in Christ, today's Gospel passage presents us with a confrontation between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees. They criticize Jesus' disciples for not fasting and praying like the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. Jesus responds with a parable, comparing himself to a bridegroom and his disciples to wedding guests. He explains that fasting is not necessary when the bridegroom is present, but it will be necessary when he is taken away.

Jesus then tells two more parables, one about patching an old cloak with a new piece of cloth, and another about pouring new wine into old wineskins. He uses these parables to illustrate the idea that the old and the new cannot coexist. The new will always burst forth and replace the old.

This passage challenges us to consider our own relationship with the old and the new. Are we clinging to the old ways of thinking and doing things, or are we open to the newness of the Kingdom of God?

Jesus' message is clear: the Kingdom of God is not just a patching up of the old, but a complete transformation. It requires new wineskins, new thinking, and new living.

May we be willing to let go of the old and embrace the newness of the Kingdom. May we be open to the transformative power of God's love and grace.

Prayer

Let us pray: + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty, merciful, and loving God, we come before you, reflecting on the newness of the Kingdom of God. We ask for the courage to let go of the old ways of thinking and doing things, and to embrace the transformative power of your love and grace.

Help us to be open to the newness of the Kingdom, and to recognize that it requires new wineskins, new thinking, and new living.

Forgive us for clinging to the old and familiar, and for being resistant to change.

Give us the wisdom to discern what is old and what is new, and to know when it's time to let go of the old and embrace the new.

May we be willing to be transformed by your love and grace, and to become new creations in Christ.

We pray for the Church, that we may be a community of people who are open to the newness of the Kingdom, and who are willing to let go of the old in order to embrace the new.

In Jesus' most holy name we pray, Amen.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HolySpirit. Amen.

Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

Rev. Fr. Jhimerson Maneclang,SCJ