Monday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 5:1-10
Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever. During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 109(110):1-4 You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
‘Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.’
The Lord will wield from Zion
your sceptre of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
‘You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.’
Mark 2:18-22
One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!’
Reflection
A young boy once walked into a tailor’s shop with his father. The tailor handed him a measuring tape and said, “Let’s make something that fits you perfectly.” The boy looked puzzled as the tailor took precise measurements, noting every detail about his shoulders, arms, and chest. When the suit was finally ready, the boy wore it, and it felt as if it was part of him—designed just for him. The tailor said, “Remember, the best things in life are not ready-made. They are tailored to fit.”
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on a God who tailors His grace to each one of us: our relationship with Him is not about one-size-fits-all but about His transformative, personal, and ever-renewing love.
The letter to the Hebrews describes the high priest as someone chosen from among us, capable of understanding and compassion because he shares in their weaknesses. Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this role. He didn’t remain distant from our struggles. Instead, through His suffering, He became the perfect mediator. Like the tailor, He entered into the details of our humanity—our joys, our fears, and our pain—so that His priesthood would be a perfect fit for the human heart.
This priesthood is not one of privilege but of sacrifice. Sacrifice is the foundation of love. Love always requires selg-giving. Jesus shows us that true leadership, true priesthood, is about laying down one’s life for others. His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane—“Not my will, but yours be done”—reminds us that obedience to God’s will is at the heart of this priesthood.
In the Gospel, Jesus is questioned about why His disciples don’t fast like others. He responds with the image of a wedding feast, new cloth, and new wineskins. These images are not just about external practices; they reveal the need for a deeper transformation. Fasting and other disciplines are not meant to be rigid obligations but ways to prepare our hearts for the presence of Christ, the Bridegroom.
The new cloth and new wineskins remind us that the Gospel demands renewal. If we cling to old ways of thinking, old prejudices, or stale practices, we cannot fully embrace the dynamic, life-giving relationship Christ offers. He invites us to allow His Spirit to stretch and reshape us, just as new wineskins expand to hold new wine.
Just as the young boy’s suit was tailored perfectly, God’s grace is designed to fit each of us uniquely. Christ, the eternal high priest, entered into our humanity to offer us a priesthood of compassion and sacrifice, a covenant of renewal, and a joy that cannot be contained.
May we, as His disciples, embrace the new wine of His Spirit, be transformed as new wineskins, and live out our priestly call with courage and compassion. Amen.