The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, July 8, 2006
Thirteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Amos 9:11-15
Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
Matthew 9:14-17

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"New Wine into Old Wineskins . . . .”

Today Jesus makes a point of the "otherness" of His mission to us. He is not the old wine; as a result His disciples do not observe the old ways, but they observe the ways that He teaches.

We live in the time of the new teaching. We do not observe the old ways, although we honor them because they are what gave rise to Jesus. These new ways are the ways we encounter God now–most particularly in the celebration of the Eucharist and in our prayer.

Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to help us in our prayer. This is one of the signs of the New Way. The Holy Spirit, comforter, guide, teacher, and leader in prayer. Being people of the new way, we have access to this spirit of love and truth. In our prayer we rely upon Him to convey the needs of our hearts to the Lord.

Celebrate then the Bridegroom who died and was reborn and who is with us until the end of this age through the Holy Spirit.

- JuandelaCruz
(sriddle415 at yahoo dot com)