In the Gospel today, Jesus further emphasizes that sacrifice, in this case to the Old Mosaic Law, can lose its value if the spirit in which it is undertaken stresses the action itself rather than the love that should prompt it. Further, Jesus’ insight about new wine in old wineskins and the unshrunk cloth on the old cloak reminds us that with the coming of Christ, a new revelation of God’s love and mercy has been given to us. To cling to the old ways robs us of the fullness of understanding the depth of God’s love for us. A new era in our lives dawns when we embrace recovery with a spirit of God’s love—and we cannot afford to keep grasping at any of our old addictive behaviors.

Reflection Questions

• When we read the lives of the saints, we sometimes see that their confessors/spiritual directors asked them to reign in their self-mortification. What do you think was the reason for this?
• What do you do when you are tempted to revisit unhealthy behaviors of your past?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: 1 Samuel 15:16-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

Reflection by Kay P.