Getting married meant I needed to adjust my schedule. I couldn’t work overtime whenever I chose. Some habits I had at home had to change too because I was no longer living by myself.

       Then we had our first child. Again, schedule changes had to be made. We couldn’t just pack up and leave like we did when it was just the two of us. We couldn’t go out on a date and watch a movie whenever we wanted. We couldn’t stay up late. We had to change.

          And I believe that’s what Jesus means in today’s Gospel.

       “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” We can’t just settle for what we’re used to or how we always do things. There’s a need for change.

       When Jesus comes into our lives, we must change, too. We cannot come to Christ and keep living the same life of sin.

     But if we live the same life as before, we’ll be like old wineskins bursting from the fullness of the new wine.

       We need to change to let Jesus do His work in us.

Dear Lord, change me today. Change me to be a better person for myself, for others and for You.

St. Bernard and Companions, pray for us.

Like us, the priests and the leaders of the Church are wounded healers. None of us have it all together. We are “works-in-progress” so to speak. Our shared humanity enables us to work together without judgment and competition. We cannot make it on our own so we need to help one another in our journey. Let us avoid putting anyone on a pedestal so that our focus remains on Jesus and no one else.

1 Brothers and sisters: Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness 3 and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. 4 No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: You are my son; this day I have begotten you; 6 just as he says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. 7 In the days when he was in the Flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; 9 and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

R: You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

1 The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.” (R) 2 The scepter of your might: the Lord extends your strong scepter from Zion: “Rule in the midst of your enemies.” (R) 3 “Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.” (R) 4 The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” (R)

Why do people question the work of others? Why do the conservatives judge the new works of the Spirit by the old laws? People tend to be attracted to things that are known, and challenged and fearful of the unknown. God is always doing something new. Let us open our heart and mind to embrace new and different ways of living and proclaiming our faith.

The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. 22 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

think: What personal wounds enable you to be a wounded healer of others?

Read the Bible in one year  Matthew 25-28

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

NO PROFESSIONALS ALLOWED

A kid once asked me, “Father, how many Masses have you celebrated as a priest?” The question intrigued me. I have been a priest for 20 years already but I don’t really keep a record. I know of a priest friend who does, and every time he celebrates his anniversary, he would announce the number of Masses he has celebrated. Considering that I say Mass at least once a day every day and several during Sundays, surely I must have celebrated more than 7,300 Masses.

       You would think that with at least 7,300 Masses “under my belt,” I could be considered a “professional” and celebrating the Mass would just be a breeze every time. But even now, before every Mass, I still feel nervous. Before every Mass, I prepare with serious consideration. At every Mass, I still feel sweetly burdened. There are still moments when I raise the host and lift up the chalice and say to myself, “Who am I to do this? I stand here not because I am worthy. I stand here because I was given an undeserved privilege.”

       Today’s First Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews speaks of a theology of the priesthood — a priesthood that takes its origin from Jesus Himself. It is striking that the letter says of the priest, “And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was” (v. 4). Even more striking is that the Letter speaks of Jesus the High Priest and says the following, “In the same way, Christ did not take on Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father’” (v. 5).

       Saint Teresa of Calcuta said, “We are called not to be successful but to be faithful.” Before such a tremendous mystery, no one becomes “successful” or a “professional,” whether you are the one who celebrates the Eucharist or participates in it. Before such tremendous mystery, no one becomes worthy. At best, we could only be less unworthy. Fr. Joel Jason

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

A prayer before Mass reminds priests: “Priest of God, celebrate this Mass as if it was your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass.” Put your name in place of the priest and make it your everyday prayer.

“Attract my heart, O God, that I may always approach You with sincere intentions and grateful heart. Amen.”