Old School vs New School

Happy Monday! I don't know about you, but I am so thankful for a fresh start anytime we need it! If you need one, take advantage of the new day and new week! If you need a fresh start, take the gift that Christ so freely gives.

Be sure to READ and/or LISTEN to our readings today.

Our Gospel today (Mark 2:18-22) starts off talking about fasting and then moves into new and old ways.

There is a time for everything, right? There is an entire section of Ecclesiastes dedicated to that thought. There is even a song that was created out of those lines in scripture.

Fasting was (and is) an important religious practice, and the disciples of John and the Pharisees went to Jesus to kind of tattle on His disciples for not fasting. They brought their objection to Jesus and wanted to know why His disciples weren't fasting as well.

Jesus pointed out that there is a time for fasting and a time for celebrating. He gave an example of a wedding. You celebrate while the bride and groom are still there. There is a time and a place for fasting, but while you are in Jesus presence isn't one of them. There would be time to fast when Jesus was gone, but while He was in their midst, they should be celebrating.

This was a hard concept to hear and understand. This is introducing a whole new way of thinking and looking at the law and the customs of their religion.

This passage always makes me think of the changing of music at Mass, or when churches make things more contemporary. Some change can be good and is necessary, but to a point. Fasting isn't totally forgotten and discouraged, but there is a time and place for it.

Jesus uses the analogy of putting new wine in old skins. When this happens, the skin will break. He isn't  suggesting that the old is wrong or bad, He is letting us know that there is a time for the old as well as the new!