Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (2: 18-22) in which Jesus is questioned about why his disciples did not fast as others do.

In today’s Gospel, Fr Paul says, we see Jesus clash again with the Pharisees in Galilee.
The Pharisees were sticklers for abiding by the law and fasting was one of the laws they scrupulously observed.  Jesus, on the other hand, shows the joyful moment of the coming of the Messiah.  It is not a time for mourning or fasting but a time of great joy, hence why Jesus talks of a magnificent wedding feast.  In other words, God’s love for us is likened to being sealed in a marriage bond.

The Gospel today finishes with a couple of images about the fact that our behaviour must be new; you cannot mix old habits with new.

Mindful of today’s Gospel and its message, Fr Paul invites us to reflect, ‘Do I let scruples stop me from celebrating the good things that life has to offer?’