The Holy Priest-Martyr Hierotheus, Bishop of Athens; Ammon the Anchorite (350); Vladimir, Prince of Novgorod and his mother, Anne (1051); our Venerable Father Francis of Assisi (1181-1226).
Philippians 1:12-20; Luke 5:33-39.
Read Luke 5:33-39
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
The Jews traditionally fasted on Mondays, Thursdays, and on certain other occasions throughout the year. In today’s gospel reading, the Pharisees question Jesus as to why His disciples do not fast. In response, Jesus tells them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?” (Lk. 5:34). The Jews considered the day of the Messiah to be like a wedding feast, and so in His response to the Pharisees, Jesus was indicating that He is the Messiah, the Bridegroom. Being with Jesus is a time for joy and celebration!
Jesus follows this revelation with a parable involving old garments and wineskins which represent the Old Covenant and the Law. One cannot put a patch from a new garment onto an old one or put new wine into old wineskins, just as those who lived according to Jewish Law could not accept the precepts of Christ and the New Covenant into their framework. To receive the grace of the Holy Spirit and be filled with the “new wine,” we need to be given new hearts and live according to the New Covenant.
Our relationship with God goes far beyond adhering to a list of legal restrictions of what we are not permitted to do. At the Last Judgment, God will be more concerned about what we managed to do in our lives than the actions we avoided. In the parable of the Last Judgment, “the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me’” (Mt. 25:34-36). The point of this parable is not to say that we can somehow “earn” our salvation by doing good deeds. Instead, our good deeds demonstrate our love for God and others throughout the course of our lives. Love is not a mere sentimental emotion; love involves action and sacrifice. By living according to the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit may come dwell in our hearts and lead us to love always more deeply.
Bible References