Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 5: 33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”
Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus likens himself – and the faith he inspires – to new wine poured into fresh wineskins. He intends to stretch us. 

This is what can make Christianity hard at times.

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Consider a few practical examples.

Let’s say you prefer talking to listening. Try listening first for an entire day. You’ll feel stretched.

Or you recognize your impatience. Slow down at those yellow lights. Let someone ahead of you at the grocery store. Allow you children’s rooms to remain messy for another day. You’ll feel stretched.

Or say you lean a little too heavily on a habit. Give it up for a day. You’ll feel stretched.

By sunset, we may be tempted to say, “The old is good.” But we should also realize that we were made for more. 

If we allow the Spirit to stretch us, then over time we’ll become a better listener; more patient; less reliant upon people or things, and more dependent upon grace.

We’ll become more of who God made us to be: a happier, healthier, holier version of our Christian selves. 

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In what way is the Lord inviting me to be stretched today?

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Image credits: (1) Renewing Hope Counseling (2) Grace Bible Church, Holidays, PA (3) CreativeYouthIdeas.com

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Gospel:

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them. 
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

It’s amazing to consider what Peter saw when he looked inside himself. Spiritually, he saw a failure, a “sinful man.” 

Professionally, he saw the same. Peter just spent the entire night fishing without making a single catch, meaning he’s heading home without any money or food to feed himself or his family.

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Jesus sees Peter differently.

He sees a man who’s learned his trade through years of hard work – Peter’s calloused hands are evidence of that. Peter also knows the value of patience, perseverance, and team work.

Best of all, he’s obedient. 

Although he didn’t make a single catch the night before, Jesus commanded him to lower his nets … and he did.

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What a world of difference. Two sets of eyes looking at the very same person.

Peter saw a sinner.

Jesus saw the future of the Church. “From now on,” he says, “I will make you a fisher of men.”

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As human beings, it’s easy to dwell on our faults and failures. As Peter said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

But Jesus sees so much more inside of us – natural skills, talents, and abilities – that can be emboldened by grace.

“Be who God made you to be,” Saint Catherine of Siena said, “and you will set the world on fire.”

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Image credits: (1) St. Peter, Rubens (2) Miraculous Catch of Fish, Raphael (3)

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1 Cor. 3: 1-9:

Brothers and sisters, 
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking 
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another,
“I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God’s co-workers; 
you are God’s field, God’s building.

The Word of the Lord.

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“Brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.”

In our first reading, Saint Paul is correcting the behavior of some of the earliest Christians. Instead of acting like mature adults, he says they’re being “infants.” They’re jealous and divided.

As a result, he has to “spoon feed” them the Gospel because they cannot digest it well.

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I’d imagine Paul’s words left a bitter taste in their mouth. Nobody likes being corrected, or told how to live their life. But, ironically enough, if these Christians do not accept Paul’s criticism, then he could add pride to their list of sins!

Though not easy to digest, Paul is taking ownership for these Christian’s growth; he loves them. Like a spiritual father, he’s teaching them how to draw closer to Jesus.

And for the Corinthians – as is true for all of us at times – that meant being spoon fed a slice of humble pie.

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How willing am I to accept criticism from others? Do I accept my need for growth?

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May we all live the words of the Psalmist, “a humble, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.”

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Image credits: (1) Quote Master (2) Agape Bible Study (3) Orthodox Christian Network