January 20, 2013. Homily, January 21, 2013

Mark 2:18-22   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?" 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. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away m them, and then they will fast on that day. 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. 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."
The Gospel of the Lord.


Obligatory Memorial of Saint Agnes: I have with me an angel of the Lord as a guardian of my body.  According to legend, threat, torture and confinement in a house of prostitution could not break this young girl's commitment to Christ. Saint Agnes went to her death as to her wedding banquet, trusting that Christ, the bridegroom with whom she kept faith in this life would keep faith with her in the life to come.  Saint Agnes, a beautiful girl and the object of the desires of the governor's son,  at 13, died a martyr in Rome during either the second half of the third century or, more probably, at the beginning of the fourth century.  Pope Damasus adorned her tomb with sacred poetry, and many of the Fathers of the Church, following Saint Ambrose, have honored her in their writings.  
She is the patroness of Christian virtue  (the saint of chastity, gardeners, girls, engaged couples, rape victims, and virgins).

Also the birthday of Martin Luther King - we should pray for the end of racial discrimination.



In this confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus is saying there is no mixing of the old ways of legalism with the coming of the Kingdom, for salvation by grace through faith is a brand new garment, a new wineskin that cannot be mixed with a man centered works righteousness. The works oriented religion cannot contain God’s grace that He is now pouring out. Grace requires new wineskins.
            We see this principle even in the old testament book of Ezekiel 36:26,27
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Notice that our keeping the law comes after we receive the gift of God’s Spirit, after we have been born again we keep the laws of God as a thank offering, a love offering back to God, not in order to earn our salvation or keep our salvation. Obedience follows faith and repentance. Obedience is an act of faith not the flesh. This is the new wine that bursts the old wineskins of the Pharisees.
            Have you repented of sin and placed your faith in Christ? Have you trusted in Jesus alone for your salvation? Or are you trusting in church membership, good morals, and religion?