Luke 5:33-39 NRSVue

³³Then they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.” ³⁴Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding attendants fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” ³⁶He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise, not only will one tear the new garment, but the piece from the new will not match the old garment. ³⁷Similarly, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and will spill out, and the skins will be ruined. ³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine but says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

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Some thoughts on this scripture

Reflection
Jesus did not want to cut his disciples off from the world. He did not want them to dissociate themselves from the people and form closed communities with a strict moral code. He sent his disciples out into the world. Peter and the other apostles took their wives with them when they went to preach the Gospel

Reflection
Jesus has come to bring something radically new to the people he met. He would offer a new understanding of their religion. He would refer back to times past, but move onto the future, even though it meant parting company with the Baptist and his disciples. Many of his words and actions were to bring something new into the lives of his people. Prayer is opening ourselves to the love and the challenge of the gospel of Jesus which is new every day.

Reflection
‘Live in the present’ seems to be the message of Jesus here. Celebrate the presence of the Lord - one day we will mark his absence. He seems to be against the gloomy face of religion. Our faith gives us so much to be grateful for - maybe in prayer you might mention what are the gifts helps to life your faith gives you. We fast only to appreciate these gifts more. Even our fasting is to be cheerful.