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The people will fast when the bridegroom is taken


Gospel
Luke 5:33-39
When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

The Pharisees and the scribes said to Jesus, ‘John’s disciples are always fasting and saying prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees too, but yours go on eating and drinking.’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come, the time for the bridegroom to be taken away from them; that will be the time when they will fast.’
    He also told them this parable, ‘No one tears a piece from a new cloak to put it on an old cloak; if he does, not only will he have torn the new one, but the piece taken from the new will not match the old.
    ‘And nobody puts new wine into old skins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and then run out, and the skins will be lost. No; new wine must be put into fresh skins. And nobody who has been drinking old wine wants new. “The old is good” he says.’

**Reflection:**  
In this Gospel passage, Jesus speaks about the coming of a new era—His presence among His followers is like a wedding feast, a time of joy and celebration. The analogy of the bridegroom highlights the special relationship between Jesus and His disciples. When He is with them, there is no need for fasting, as they are in a time of celebration. However, when He is taken away, fasting and prayer will become necessary as a way to seek and prepare for His return. The parables about new wine and old skins remind us that Jesus' teachings bring a new way of life that cannot simply be patched onto old traditions. Embracing the new requires openness and renewal, not clinging to what is comfortable and familiar.

**Reflection Question:**  
How can I remain open to the new ways Jesus is calling me to grow in my faith and daily life?

**Short Prayer:**  
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming into our lives as the bridegroom, bringing joy and hope. Help us to embrace the newness of Your teaching and to trust in Your timing. Teach us to be open to renewal and to seek You in prayer and fasting when You call us. Amen.

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