The Question about Fasting

Today's Reflections

The Question about Fasting

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Mk 2:18-22

¹⁸The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to [Jesus] and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁹Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests 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 is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. ²¹No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. ²²Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

Reflection:

New wine is poured into fresh wineskins. The new wine in the Gospel is Jesus and the good news he brings. No one can accept Jesus and his message unless he has a new mind and a new heart. In other words, Jesus and his good news can be accepted only in faith. We do not understand Jesus first and then believe in him and his gospel. We must first believe in Jesus so that we may understand him and his good news.

How can we understand Jesus’ insistence on service as the way to real greatness, and accept his call that we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him unless we already believe in him? As St. Paul says, the wisdom of God is foolishness with men.

Let us pray

to have the mind and heart of Christ.