THE CONTENT OF THE NEW WAY OF FASTING (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME July 2022
Talking about fasting, our homily on the above narrative will be in 3 stages: (1) Before the coming of Jesus (2) the presence of the Messiah, the bridegroom (3) After the earthly departure of Jesus.
(1) On the situation before the coming of Jesus: The people had always been engaged in fasting even before the coming of Jesus. They fasted for repentance and the coming of the messiah (the presence of God). For instance, we are told in the Gospel of Luke that “Anna the daughter of Phanuel, a widow up to the age of 84years, never left the temple, serving day and night with fasting and prayer. She came up and began giving thanks to God and spoke of Jesus to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:36-38). The people as the bride longed for the coming of the Messiah (the bridegroom), so they fasted. This was why the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting in expectancy of the Messiah, unknown to them that the Messiah is already present in their midst as the bridegroom.
(2) The presence of the Messiah, the bridegroom: The response of Jesus to the disciples of John was in place. That the bridegroom attendants would never think of mourning in so far as the bridegroom is with them. Jesus is the bridegroom who approached his bride. Even John the Baptist, acknowledged Jesus as the bridegroom when he was questioned by his disples and a Jew. John the Baptist said, “the bride belongs to the bridegroom; yet the bridegroom's friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom's voice. This is the joy I fill, and it is complete” (Jn 3:29). In Ephesians 5:25 we are told that 'Jesus Christ, the bridegroom had chosen the church to be his bride'. 'The bridegroom attendants would never think of mourning' was also manifested by Jesus even in the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, which was acknowledged as the best wine (Jn 2:1-12). Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, as the bridegroom, Jesus brings the 'new wine': the new way of life in God, which is 'Love'. Love forms the basis for the 'new wine', for the old ways had been abolished. The new wine is symbolic of the new commandment: 'Love one another as I have loved you (Jn 13:34).
(3) After the earthly departure of Jesus: Jesus said after the bridegroom had been taken away from them, then they will fast. In other words, after the earthly departure of Jesus, then the disciples will fast. The fasting that is being referred to here by Jesus, is a departure from the content of the old way of fasting. While the former way of fasting was hinged on 'the repentance and expectation of the messiah', the content of the new way of fasting is hinged on 'Love': Love of God and Love of neighbour. This is further expressed by Jesus when he said that “no one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth unto an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine in old wineskins; if they do, the skin bursts, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost” (Mt 9:17). Beloved in Christ, as the bride of Christ, we need not return to the old ways of life, the law of the new way of life (fasting) had been given to us, and we have participated in the new wine of the bridegroom. Everything we do henceforth must be borne out of Love. In the daily sacrifice of the Eucharist, we celebrate the new wine: Christ Jesus. Let us model our lives to be like that of the bride worthy of the groom.
We pray this day that through the church as the bride of Christ Jesus (the bridegroom), the new wine of love of God may continue to permeate the innermost soul of our society and our world. Amen
Have a fruitful day!
Fr Remi osj
Amen
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