“Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskin, because the wine will burst the skins,,.” (Mk 2:22)

 “Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskin, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.” (Mk 2:22)

Today’s Passages: Mk 2:18-22; Heb 5:1-10

Meditation: On the first day of the week we are called through today’s meditation verse for a renewal; for a new heart and spirit. This message of God is well conveyed through the prophet Isaiah as he says, “I will give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the stony heart from their bodies, and replace it with a natural heart, so that they will live according to my statutes, and observe and carry out my ordinances; thus they shall be my people and I will be their God.” (Ezek 11:19, 20)

Sometimes, the call for renewal is also otherwise considered as a call for returning to the original; retaining the originality. It is for this that Jacob was asked to return to Bethel. God said to Jacob, “Go up now to Bethel. Settle there and build an altar there to God who appeared to you while you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” (Ex 35:1) Again in the book of revelation, the angel of the Lord says, “Yet I hold this against you; you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lamp-stand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev 2:4, 5)

In today’s verse also Jesus reminds us of this: “Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskin, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.” (Mk 2:22) Just as you need new wineskins for new wine, you need a new heart and spirit to receive the new law of Jesus Christ.

He calls for a change of heart, different from the old, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Mt 5:17) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” (Mt 5:43)

In the second reading we hear, “God said to him, ‘you are my son; today I have become your father.’” (Heb 5:5) How do I respond to this word of the living God today? Even today, am I keeping myself hiding from God like Adam? Why do I lose easily the inspiration and motivation that I receive from retreats and sacramental life? What about the new heart, new spirit, and new law?

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Lord, teach us also today the meaning of renewing ourselves and returning to your house. “So Jacob told his family and all the others who were with him, ‘get rid of the foreign gods that you have among you; then purify yourselves and put on fresh clothes.’” (Ex 35:2) Guided by the Holy Spirit, may we also do the same! We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Monday!

“People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable, but outcasts.” (Mk 2:17)

“People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable, but outcasts.” (Mk 2:17) Today’s Passages: Mk 2:13-17; Heb 4:12-16

Meditation: Today’s meditation verse rightly reminds us of God the father’s love and forgiveness toward broken and cursed humanity. Though he punished Adam, the first man (Gen 3), God was always after him (humanity) with his love and concern. Throughout the salvation history we never find the Israelite, the people of God, fully righteous and faithful. It is because of this that they could never enjoy peace and happiness.

They were most of their time under one exile or other; conquered and dominated by one or other; and persecuted by many. Centuries’ long sufferings and tears made some of them sometimes seek their own way forgetting the living God. However, during these painful periods they never felt that they were left alone. God was always with them in steadfast love. Even when he punished them, more than the people, it was God who grieved to his heart most.

This is well expressed throughout the bible: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you! See, upon the palms of my hands I have written my name; your walls are ever before me.” (Is 49:15, 16) Again the Lord says, “Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken.” (Is 54:10)

It is the same God who became man dwelt among us to redeem each one of us. The gospel of John clearly says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For, God did not send his into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:16, 17) Therefore, Jesus says, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable, but outcasts.” (Mk 2:17)

The third reading, therefore, calls upon us to have great confidence in God’s ever-forgiving love and says, “Let us be brave, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.” (Heb 4:16) 

     

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. We know that we are sinners but we have confidence in you O, Lord. You are a God who is ready to accept and forgive the repentant sinner. With this confidence we come to you, have mercy on me a sinner. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Saturday!

“Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof... (Mk 2:4)

“Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was.” (Mk 2:4) 

Today’s Passages: Mk 2:1-12; Heb 4:1-5, 11

Meditation: Today’s meditation verse invites our special attention to the faith of the people who brought the paralyzed man before Jesus. One day Jesus was preaching in a house and many people were gathered there to listen to him. Because of the large number of people many were standing even outside. At this time some people brought a paralyzed man to Jesus to pray over him, but “because of the crowd, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was.” (Mk 2:4)

Many a time similar passages of the bible made me think twice about my role in the mission of the church; in the ministry of evangelization. The people in the house were listening to the word of God while the poor paralyzed man was helpless to find a way to Jesus. They were all close to Jesus, listening to him for hours, but the poor man who tried his best to reach him (with the help of his friends) in faith received healing and salvation. It reminds me also of the simple faith of the woman who was suffering from severe bleeding for twelve years (Mt 9:20-22)

Today I want to focus first on the faith of the friends who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. They knew of Jesus and of his divine power; and therefore, they wanted to take him to Jesus. When they were faced with challenges they did not go back, rather found another way to reach Jesus. What did really prompt them to take that risk of making a hole in the roof and bring him to Jesus? It is nothing but their faith in Jesus. Why do we often feel bored and exhausted in our prayers and ministries? It is because of our lack of faith. But these people should make us think of our faith in Jesus.

Secondly, I want to reflect on the people who blocked the way of the paralyzed man to Jesus, the savior. They were listening to Jesus and were so close to him, but failed to listen to and help the needy; the paralyzed man. What a contradiction it is! But sometimes it happens in our lives too; knowingly or unknowingly. The more we are close to Jesus, the more we should be open to others.

  

My listening to the word of God or participating in the ministries should not by all means block others knowing, loving, and serving Jesus, rather help them. That is what we hear in today’s second reading, “Let us then do our best to receive that rest, so that no one of us will fail as they did because of their lack of faith.” (Heb 4:11) 

   

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Lord, help us to be open to the needs of others. Our openness to your love and forgiveness should necessarily make us open our hearts toward others. We pray today in a special way for all those who are engaging themselves in the evangelization ministry. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Friday!

“Indeed, he talked so much that Jesus could not go into a town publicly... from everywhere.” (Mk 1:45)

“Indeed, he talked so much that Jesus could not go into a town publicly. Instead, he stayed out in lonely places, and people came to him from everywhere.” (Mk 1:45) 

Today’s Passages: Mk 1:40-45; Heb 3:7-14

Meditation: The other day we saw that Jesus went out to a lonely place and prayed to the heavenly Father. Today’s meditation verse gives us another picture of Jesus. Here the evangelist says that he stayed out in lonely places so that people may not easily recognize and follow him. We know the background of this verse, after got healed, the cured man went out to the town and made known to the public what Jesus had done to him. Hearing this good news, people from everywhere were searching for him.

Why did Jesus, who had asked people to follow him, now go away or hiding himself from the people? If miracles are signs of the manifestation of God’s glory and people come to believe in God after seeing the miracles Jesus performed, ‘why did Jesus keep himself away from the people?’ becomes today’s our focus of reflection. This also may appear to be very strange in today’s world where we find these externals remains the main focus of attraction.

However, we know that this is not “the attraction” about which Pope Francis speaks about in the “Joy of the Gospel.” There quoting Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI he says, “It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but ‘by attraction.’” (EG 15) This “attraction” is but only through witness of my life in and through Jesus. Jesus did miracles only to reveal God the father and his glory not to attract people to him. We are given many a talent in our lives. How do we make use of them? What purpose do we make use of them for?

There were temptations in the life of Jesus too, to do miracles for this worldly attraction. However, Jesus did never succumb to them rather he responded saying, “Go away, Satan!” or “Get behind me Satan!” We find an answer to those who surrender to this temptation in the second reading. The word of the Lord says, “I was angry and made a solemn promise; ‘They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest.” (Heb 3:11) or “Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people.” (Mt 7:23)

           

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Lord, everyday, we pray the prayer you taught us without fail, still when the Satan comes through his new tactics we forget even to keep away from those human appreciations or approvals. Teach us the meaning of your word, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (Jn 12:19) We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Thursday!

Jesus answered, “We must go on to the other villages round here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came.” (Mk 1:38)

Jesus answered, “We must go on to the other villages round here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came.” (Mk 1:38)

Today’s Passages: Mk 1:29-39; Heb 2:14-18

Meditation: Though today’s meditation passage renders a very good beginning, the verse we are going to focus on, i.e., the last but one verse, seems to give us a little strange ending. Nevertheless, Jesus has something to tell you and me in a special way right now through this verse. A normal day of Jesus began with going to the synagogue and then, made some healing ministry and driving out demons together with preaching, and fulfilling the duties he went to sleep. The next day, early in the morning he went to lonely place to pray to his father. How beautiful and fruitful Jesus’ life is!

However, the second part gives us another account as to disciples’ search for Jesus and their plea before Jesus, “Everyone is looking for you.” (Mk 1:37) Of course, we find some excitement from the part of disciples. It is not so long that they began their life with Jesus and in such a short time they came to know that their master has become celebrated; ‘come master many are waiting for you.’ In the present time, when everyone expects such message, this excitement may not be something worth mentioning.

But let us see how Jesus reacted to it and his reaction to disciples’ request is today’s focus of attention in our meditation. Jesus answered, “We must go on to the other villages round here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came.” (Mk 1:38) As in the case of John the Baptist, Jesus is fully aware of his mission. Therefore, there is no stop for human glorification in his journey of doing the will of the father. Tests and trials in our life are only to make aware of our mission and therefore, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to the end.” (Heb 12:2)

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus has already overcome the world and its temptations. And now he warns and encourages you and me saying, “The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” (Jn 16:33) This may not always be physical suffering; sometimes this may be some tests or trials as to make your way to God get blocked. Therefore, always keep alert and remember Jesus; “he can help those who are tempted and suffered.” (Heb 2:18) 

          

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Lord, help us to be reminded of our mission in this world as a child of God at each moment of lives. Let us learn that we are not after human approval or glory but after accomplishing our duties entrusted by God. Today in a special way we remember all those who work for the spread of the kingdom of God unselfishly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen! 

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Wednesday!