Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Old and New
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. We hear in the first reading an appendix to Amos, probably written at a later date but in Amos’s style and perspective; it promises a new future to those who are faithful.
Gospel. Can we be people of compromise? To settle disagreements and make peace, to solve disputed matters and to become at least tolerant of one another, yes. But not with the gospel. Not when it comes to the renewal of life, whether personal or communal, that is constantly asked of us. Jesus tells his disciples and us, who live in messianic times, that we are new, liberated people: we cannot compromise on salvation, our faith, or the gospel. Young wine belongs in new wineskins. New times require new attitudes.
Opening Prayer
We are your people on the march,
moving forward to you with your Son
who came to make everything new.
Dispose us, Lord, to accept the pain
of leaving the familiar behind us.
Uproot us from our established ways
and guide our faltering steps
toward your new future in Jesus Christ,
First Reading
Day of Restoration
“On that day, I will restore David’s fallen hut, wall up its breaches, and rebuild its ruined walls; and I will make it like it was in days of old.
They will conquer the rest of Edom and the nearby nations, on which my name has been called,” declares the Lord, the one who will do this.
The Lord also says: “The days are coming when the plowman will overtake the reaper, and the vintager of grapes will overtake the sower. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
I will bring back the exiles of my people, Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and enjoy their wine; they will have orchards and eat their fruit.
I will plant them in their own land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 85:9 and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (see 9b) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
On Fasting
Then John’s disciples approached him with the question:
“How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but not your disciples?”
Jesus answered them:
“How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunk cloth because the patch will shrink and create an even bigger hole in the coat.
Similarly, you don’t put new wine into old wineskins. If you do, the wineskins will burst and the wine will be spilled. Instead, you put new wine into fresh skins; then both are preserved.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the Church, that the People of God and its leaders may follow the promptings of the creative Spirit to speak to the people of today the ever-new language of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we pray:
– For husbands and wives, parents and children, that they may not take one another for granted but renew each other with a love that is inventive and attentive, we pray:
– For artists, poets and inventors, that they may reveal to us the splendor of creation and the riches of life beyond the apparent drabness of our existence, we pray:
– For this community, that we may not be afraid of authentic change, and draw from Christ the courage to start the reform of our world and our Church with the renewal of ourselves, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
this bread and this wine
are the signs of the new covenant
that you have made with us
in the blood of Jesus Christ.
May we indeed be your new people
of the new and everlasting covenant.
Renew our hearts,
make us your new wine of joy and hope,
that we may build a new earth today
and march forward with your Son
toward your new heaven
where you will be our God for ever.
Prayer after Communion
God of our future,
you have given us Jesus, your Son,
as our companion on the road
for renewing ourselves and the world.
Let him prod us on
when we try to compromise
by merely patching up the old here and there;
let him curb our impatience
when we try to rush people and things
beyond their capacity for growth.
Lead us forward on the new road of the gospel
through our trusted guide, Jesus Christ,
Your Son and our Lord forever.
Blessing
We are God’s new people, the people of the new covenant. So we must live the new life of Jesus and do all we can to make our world new in justice, love, and compassion. May God give you this insight and the strength to carry it out: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Mt 9:14-17
Remove your old shirt and wear a new one!
Would you rather try new things or stick with the usual? Matthew speaks to us today about the old and the new. In another passage, he spoke about how good it is to take out things from the past so that the present is sustained, and, at the same time, new things are also introduced so that the future is encouraged.
Today, on the other hand, the evangelist is betting more on the new. He is speaking to us about the "New" person: Jesus Christ. He is the new man who renews all that has been outdated for centuries... which continues to threaten every generation and every heart by living selfishly, despising our neighbours, and shutting ourselves from God. It is Jesus who is new, being what God always wanted: welcoming others with a heart awakened to the Father.
If we want to continue with the old ways, they will burst, as new wine does with old wineskins. The newness of Jesus' teachings bursts the old wineskins of Judaism. Jesus continues to bust old habits and obsolete traditions if we let him in.
Life is the greatest blessing we receive from God. Accepting the newness of life in Christ is more important than the rituals of fasting. If fasting is reduced to a precept and does not transform your life, it will not be a source of blessing for you.
Here's the main exhortation: "New wine, new wineskins!" God's blessings are gifts that are not earned through our efforts or merits. We are the losers when we think someone does not deserve God's blessings. We fail to be open to God's free gift of love and are unable to receive the newness of God's kingdom when we think of someone as unworthy of God's blessings.
Life in Christ is radical newness. He does not ask us to change minor details, patch up an old suit, hide its tears, or maintain the old wine of sin in the same skins as the new wine of faith. Jesus comes to tell us that the new is incompatible with the old. The Lord invites us to change not only the outer garment but also our mentality and attitude. Following Christ affects our entire existence, not just a few prayers and pious practices.
Coffee With God 8 July 2023 - Remove your old shirt and wear a new one!