REFLECTIONS ON THE WORD – 01/17/22 (Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt)

Mark 2:18-19

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to Him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

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Blessed Memorial of St. Anthony of Desert! In our gospel reading today, the people asked Jesus why His disciples were not fasting unlike the Pharisees. He replied by saying that He's the Bridegroom, and there's no need to fast. To be with the bridegroom is a moment of joy, not a moment of mourning. The disciples were joyful for being with the Messiah and accepting the gospel. It's interesting to note that the Pharisees did not recognize Him as their Savior. On the contrary, they rejected the teachings of Christ, and they always committed sins, primarily because of their pride. They were fasting simply as an exterior devotion, but deep within, they were not following the will of God. 

To be united with Jesus is truly a moment of joy. We can be physically united with Him when we receive Him in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. We can also remain united to Him if we accept and practice all of the teachings that the Catholic Church, His Spouse, teaches. However, one obstacle we may experience is seeking to make an exterior devotion an excuse for not following the will of God. Our Lord desires that we participate in the Mass every Sunday and other days of obligation, but some people think it's unnecessary because they can just pray on their own. Some people don't think they even need to be faithful to Catholic teachings. When this happens, we do not see that this is a just a temptation for us to do what we want rather than what He desires. Prayers, sacrifices and others should not simply be exterior devotions. Rather, our love and obedience to God should accompany our works. God is calling us to offer our whole selves to Him by being fully obedient to His Divine will. 

May we imitate St. Anthony of Egypt who accompanied his detachment and prayers with his interior devotion and love for God May we participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and live our faith as Catholics. This will bring us true joy because of being able to deepen our relationship with Jesus, the Bridegroom. In this way, we become a new vessel because He fills our hearts with His Mercy. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic