The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,
for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.What it must have been like for the disciples to be with Jesus. They clearly did not understand what they had or who He was, but still, it must have been amazing. That kind of closeness is what He wants with all of us, He yearns to be our friend, to hear our problems and to help us along our journey, but we reject Him and think that we dont need Him, and we fool ourselves into misery.
But the secret to this entire problem is to simply open your mind and heart to Him. “No matter how many steps you take away from Jesus, it is only one step back”, and if you do take that step, you will find Him running to you like the father of the prodigal son.
So be humble, suck up your pride, and turn to Him, now, today, dont wait another minute. This decision will forever change your life. If you have already turned back to Him, continue that way, and dont fall away again. And if you are already there, in His loving embrace, then you need to go our and find others to help them get back to God as well. It is a lifelong journey, and we have only just begun. But start your journey today!
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh lord, help me today to recognize you and who you are in my life. Help me to have the courage to pursue you the way you pursue me. Amen