LIFE UNPATCHED, LIFE RENEWED ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Daily Reflections

Monday, 15^thJanuary 2018.

Second Week in the Ordinary Time

First reading: 1 Samuel 15:16-23

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 49:8-9,16-17,21,23

Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

LIFE UNPATCHED, LIFE RENEWED

Jesus states that no one pours new wine into old wineskins, for this will burst the old wineskins. Therefore, new wine is poured into new wineskins. This reveals to us, that if we wish to receive Jesus’ new and transforming Gospel message, we must first become new people. Our old lives of sin cannot contain the new gift of grace. Therefore, in order to fully receive the message of Jesus, we must first become created anew.

Jesus warns his disciples about the problem of the ‘closed mind’ that refuses to learn new things. Jesus used an image familiar to his audience - new and old wineskins. Just as there is a right place and a right time for fasting and for feasting, so there is a right place for the old as well as the new. The Lord doesn’t want us to hold rigidly to the past and to be welcoming to the new work of his Holy Spirit in our lives. He wants our minds and hearts to be like new wine skins- open and ready to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit. If we are willing to let our life be made new, we will discover that more will be poured upon us. Know that He wants to pour an abundance of grace into our life if we are willing to let ourselves be first created anew.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to be made anew. I desire to live a new life in grace so that even more grace can be lavished upon me through Your sacred words. Help me, dear Lord, to embrace the life of abundance that You have in store for me. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.