GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:14-17

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.”

The gospel of the Lord

 

“I Do.”

When we read this Gospel, a question may arise: what does fasting have to do with the Bridegroom? Jesus seems to respond in a somewhat mysterious way, but in reality, He is revealing a glimpse of His Heart.

The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries, and in Jesus’ time, they fasted as a sign of that expectation. When asked why His disciples did not fast, Jesus not only answers the question, but says something even greater: I am the Bridegroom you have been waiting for.

He is revealing His identity… He is the Bridegroom! A deeply loving and intimate image. And not only that, but He also makes a veiled announcement of His Passion: “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Lord, today I contemplate Your Heart as the Bridegroom and your declaration of love that reaches the depths of my soul. I close my eyes and hear You saying in my heart: I want to wed you, and I will give My Life to make it possible—do you want this? You only need a new heart to receive Me, and I will give it to you.

Then, from the depths of my soul, I respond with all my love: “I do.”

Christian marriage is a visible sign of the invisible love of Christ the Bridegroom for His Church, and so these words resound within me: “By welcoming and pleasing my husband, I am pleasing You, Lord.”

Applied to married life:

Rocio: I’m fed up, Adolfo! It’s always the same with you. I’m tired from work too, you know? The laundry doesn’t do itself, the kids don’t bathe themselves… And your solution is always to find someone else to ‘help me.’ I can’t take it anymore! I’ve tried everything…

Adolfo: I’m tired of this too! I need my space, my rhythm, my friends, and my own way of doing things… I’m throwing in the towel!

(On the next day)

Rocio: Adolfo, I thank God because He’s helped me realise that the issue isn’t just about sharing chores. That’s a superficial, worldly patch that only leads to something worse: despair and giving up. What we need is a conversion of the heart. It’s useless to listen and learn if we don’t welcome it and remain anchored in our old ways…

Adolfo: Yeah… I see that now… you might be right. But what can we do?

Rocio: Make a firm decision: we can’t fail in our daily appointment with prayer. We need intimacy with the Lord. He’s the one who will transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh like His own. But we need to seek Him, find Him, and love Him in prayer.

Mother,

We thank you because you gave the first “yes” to the Bridegroom.

You recognised His love and welcomed it without reservation. Help us to persevere in prayer, to welcome Jesus with a simple heart like yours. Thank you, Blessed Mother.