This Sunday's Gospel: "Can The Wedding Guests Fast While the Bridegroom is With Them?

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Fidelis:
Here are some links for this Sunday’s readings. If anybody has any additional links we would appreciate it if you post them. Thank you! Everybody is invited to participate in a discussion re: these readings.

usccb.org/nab/
members.cox.net/fidelis927/
dailygospel.org/
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Im in, Im especially interested how to understand the patch and wineskins teachings.
I have read this stuff in the past a few times but always had trouble understanding what was meant, is it that the teachings Jesus is claiming are incompatible with the old ways?
 
Catholic Dude:
Im in, Im especially interested how to understand the patch and wineskins teachings.
I have read this stuff in the past a few times but always had trouble understanding what was meant, is it that the teachings Jesus is claiming are incompatible with the old ways?
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Here is a link directly to the readings: usccb.org/nab/022606.shtml

I think it’s like we have to recondition our minds and hearts to rid them of worldly influence before we are able to handle stronger tests of our spirituality. I think the teachings Jesus is talking about are incompatible with old mindsets, that still occur today as we are brought up in an imperfect society and learn to hate and judge as part of growing up. These things are very subtle, but as long as they are there they prevent the good word from being held.

Alan
 
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Our priest said that the question we might be asked today is “Why do Muslims fast and Christians don’t?” referring to the long fast of Ramadan.
 
Our priest today referring to the Gospel… that the old cloth and new cloth, as well as, the old wineskin and new wine referred to sometimes we must change to something new… New convenant vs Old convenant…

He went on to explain that the new cloth as a patch on the cloth wouldn’t work because as the new cloth would shrink it would tear the old… it would be better to just change to a new garment.

Also, old wineskins don’t allow the new to ferment and breath; the old wineskins would just burst.

Jesus is the new convenant, replacing the old convenant.

God Bless!

ck
 
Eileen T said:
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Our priest said that the question we might be asked today is “Why do Muslims fast and Christians don’t?” referring to the long fast of Ramadan.
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Good question.

Actually (except for the the hour fast before recieving the Eucharist), Catholics in our time are required to fast a total of two days a year – Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Other than that, it is a private discipline that we can do on our own.

That’s all well and good, but when’s the last time you ever heard catchetical instruction or exhortation from the pulpit encouraging fasting – or other spiritual discipline?
 
From the Navarre Bible Commentary on this Sunday’s Gospel:

18-22. Using a particular case, Christ’s reply tells about the
connection between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament the Bridegroom has not yet arrived; in the New Testament He is present, in the person of Christ. With Him began the Messianic Times, a new era distinct from the previous one. The Jewish fasts, therefore, together with their system of religious observances, must be seen as a way of preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Christ shows the
difference between the spirit He has brought and that of the Judaism of His time. This new spirit will not be something extra, added on to the old; it will bring to life the perennial teachings contained in the older Revelation. The newness of the Gospel–just like new wine–cannot fit within the molds of the Old Law.

But this passage says more: to receive Christ’s new teaching people must inwardly renew themselves and throw off the straight-jacket of old routines.

19-20. Jesus describes Himself as the Bridegroom (cf. also Luke 12:35; Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:29), thereby fulfilling what the Prophets had said about the relationship between God and His people (cf. Hosea 2:18-22; Isaiah 54:5ff). The Apostles are the guests at the wedding, invited to share in the wedding feast with the Bridegroom, in the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matthew 22:1-14).

In verse 20 Jesus announces that the Bridegroom will be taken away from them: this is the first reference He makes to His passion and death (cf. Mark 8:31; John 2:19; 3:14). The vision of joy and sorrow we see here epitomizes our human condition during our sojourn on earth.
 
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Fidelis:
That’s all well and good, but when’s the last time you ever heard catchetical instruction or exhortation from the pulpit encouraging fasting – or other spiritual discipline?
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Just today actually 🙂 The priest used the Gospel as a starting point to discuss fasting and abstinence - what the current requirements are and so on. Didn’t go on for long but very interesting and informative nonetheless.
 
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LilyM:
Just today actually 🙂 The priest used the Gospel as a starting point to discuss fasting and abstinence - what the current requirements are and so on. Didn’t go on for long but very interesting and informative nonetheless.
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Good for him, LilyM. :clapping:

Hopefully, with the approach of the Lenten season (Ash Wednesday is this week) many other priests, parents and catechists took the opportunity for similar teachable moments.
 
Eileen T said:
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Our priest said that the question we might be asked today is “Why do Muslims fast and Christians don’t?” referring to the long fast of Ramadan.
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It’s important to get the distinctions right.

Muslims fast from sunup to sundown during Ramadan. After sundown, they can eat and drink to their hearts’ (and stomachs’) content. During the fast, they are permitted NOTHING, not water, not cigarettes. Because of the lunar calendar, some years Ramadan occurs when the days are short, so the fasting is pretty easy. Other years, the days are long and the fasting is more difficult. They may get a little short-tempered, so if your employees and / or co-workers are observing the fast, you might want to cut them a little slack, particularly if the weather is hot. Ask them if they are observing the fast (some do not) and if they are, let them rest and for goodness sake, don’t eat a candy bar in their faces!

Christian fasting occurs during Lent, as a rule. There are days of fast and abstinence. The rules differ and vary depending on the age of the person and the guidelines set up by the bishop.

Fast means a reduced food intake, but we are not allowed to hurt ourselves and it generally means for a 24 hour day. A strict fast may require medical supervision. Midnight to midnight. During Lent, it means the full 40 days. For goodness sake, if you get let your blood sugar drop and you pass out, then there is no benefit. So then go and eat something.

Abstinence means no meat. 24 hours per day of abstinence. Fridays. Ash Wednesday. Good Friday. Not that difficult. Unless you get invited to dinner and they serve beef wellington and you have to just pick at the crust or veggies.

We are supposed to not advertise that we are fasting or abstaining… if we get brownie points from our friends and co-workers for our fast, then we don’t get divine points… we will already have receive our reward… but not from God.
 
I didn’t mean that we should emulate the Muslims, nor did Father. What he was saying was that we should take our faith seriously. He emphasised prayer, fasting and almsgiving and challenged us to make an extra effort this Lent.
 
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Courage_to_ride:
Our priest today referring to the Gospel… that the old cloth and new cloth, as well as, the old wineskin and new wine referred to sometimes we must change to something new… New convenant vs Old convenant…

He went on to explain that the new cloth as a patch on the cloth wouldn’t work because as the new cloth would shrink it would tear the old… it would be better to just change to a new garment.

Also, old wineskins don’t allow the new to ferment and breath; the old wineskins would just burst.

Jesus is the new convenant, replacing the old convenant.

God Bless!

ck
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Sounds like a good sermon and the priest did a good job explaining the Gospel in your parish. Kudos to him!
 
I think the old wineskins might represent a person whose mind and heart have not yet been converted by the Holy Spirit, and the new wine is spiritual blessings and abundance.

Our old mindset before Christ was on guilt, punishment, and revenge. Christ brought a totally different message, that we should turn the other cheek, love our enemies, and all kinds of very strange things. This body of thoughts and feelings that are the divine consciousness which was with Christ, had a very strange way indeed of looking at things compared to anything else that had been done before.

It takes a long time to adjust to have that mindset, even though we are centuries past Christ in time we still grow up starting with original sin in an imperfect society, and become corrupt and set in our judgmental ways. These are old wineskins that are used up and dried up because they have no life apart from the wine that has all gone away. We cannot put the new wine into these old wineskins until they have been made new by the Holy SPirit – by converting the mind and heart.

This ties in with what I heard once in a sermon on Pentecost, where our Responsorial Psalm was, “Lord, send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth.” We cannot accept the blessings of the kingdom until we are prepared. Once we are made new as the Spirit wills we can begin to be filled – first a little at a time – with the abundance of blessings the Father wishes to give us. We cannot accept these gifts unprepared and with old broken down, dead mindsets.

Alan
 
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LilyM:
Just today actually 🙂 The priest used the Gospel as a starting point to discuss fasting and abstinence - what the current requirements are and so on. Didn’t go on for long but very interesting and informative nonetheless.
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mine too! i was so happy, he talked about the benefits of fasting, physical and spiritual, and how it helps develope discipline, and reminded us all when we are supposed to (so no one has an excuse if they didn’t read the bulletin). i really love my priest sometimes
 
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