8th Sunday in Ordinary Time
March 2, 2003
Reading I: Hosea 2:16-17,21-22 II: 2Cor 3:1-6
Gospel
Mark 2:18-22

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."


Interesting Details

In the Gospel readings of this week (Mk 2:18-22) and next week (Mk 2:23-27), Jesus defended the conduct of his disciples.


One Main Point

Jesus challenges his hearers to recognize the necessary change in attitude which the coming of the Kingdom required.


Reflections
  1. Do I find fasting and penance helpful for my spiritual growth?
  2. Am I willing to let go of my rigidity like the old wineskin to take on the new life that Jesus offer?

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community

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