Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Or Optional Memorial of Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest
Matthew 9: 14-17
New wineskins for the bridegroom

Jesus invites us today to think with fresh hearts. “New wine must be put into fresh wineskins.” He is telling us: be open to the new thing I am doing in you! This is not about trends or novelty, but about transformation. He gives us a new heart, a new spirit, a new future. To receive this new wine—his Word, his grace, his presence—we must leave behind the old containers of pride, routine, and fear.

Sometimes we want to follow Jesus but still cling to our own plans. But Christ gently reminds us, “Trust me with your future.” Our dreams, as beautiful as they are, often need to be reshaped by his hands. He is the Bridegroom, and he knows how to make all things new.

Jesus also speaks of feasting and fasting. “Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?” Yes, the Church calls us to seasons of fasting and seasons of feasting. Both are acts of love. In fasting, we become empty so we can be filled with grace. In feasting, we rejoice in the Bridegroom’s presence! God is not a God of sorrow but of joy. But to feast well, we must fast well.

And above all, we must remember: the Bridegroom lives. Jesus is not an idea, not a memory—He is alive and with us. He calls us to a union deeper than words. We are invited to live in communion with Him, heart to heart.

Let us not settle for a superficial faith. Let us welcome the new wine of the Gospel and renew our hearts daily. The Bridegroom is here. He waits for us with love.
Amen.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025