Material to use during our online meeting
For Lectio Divina:
Gospel MK 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 from 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.”
Meditation:
Everyone serves good wine first, and then,
when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.
– John 2:10
Brothers and sisters,
there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit
… one and the same Spirit …
distributing them individually to each person.
– I Corinthians 12:4, 11
| Today’s readings echo the rejoicing of the third Sunday in Advent – with a slight difference. In Advent, we waited in “joy-filled hope.” Now, we rejoice in fulfillment. Exiles have returned to Jerusalem; water has turned into wine. What once appeared ordinary and mundane has been infused with effervescence and light. We, who lit candles in the darkness, have been transformed. Rejoicing in the awareness that God is with us, we turn to the Spirit within and discover gifts. Blessing upon blessing, these gifts not only bring us joy, they also benefit our brothers and sisters. Today’s readings celebrate our transformation, the gifts discovered in that process and our ability to use those gifts in the communities in which we find ourselves, as well as in communities beyond our usual comfort zone. |
You are invited to view this video clip, about six minutes in length
Some material was extracted from the Contemplative Outreach Word of the Week January 20, 2019 in order to be used in our online prayer time.