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?” Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Am I truly free and open to experience the grace to be present to Jesus in my life?
Religious practices (such as fasting) are intended to create for us a pathway and space in our busy lives to experience God. Sometimes though, structures of religion can embed us by overemphasizing the letter of the law at the expense of the spirit of it. This can obstruct our true focus which is to be present to God.
Jesus is asking us to reflect on our religious practices in this passage. What are our true desires, intentions, and motivations in our religious practice?
Is it for societal status, self-righteousness, or a tool to judge others? Or is it to humbly create a space of grace to truly seek God’s presence in our lives?
All our religious practices must bring us closer in our relationship with Jesus assisting us to experience his unwavering hope, unconditional love, and abundant joy.
—Dr. Sajit U. Kabadi is the Assistant Principal for Mission, Ministry, and Diversity at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, CO.
Spend time looking at God.
Who is God for you now?
How is God present with you at this moment?
What is God’s desire for you like?
Listen to God express this desire.
—Maureen Conroy
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The Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intentions
Brought to you by Apostleship of Prayer the first Friday of each month.
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Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God pursues us in the routines of our home and work life, and in the hopes and fears of life's challenges. The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, created the Spiritual Exercises to deepen our relationship with Christ and to move our contemplation into service. May this prayer site anchor your day and strengthen your resolve to remember what truly matters.
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