Friday of the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time [[435] Colossians 1:15-20 Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5 Luke 5:33-39

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

In today’s gospel, the scribes and Pharisees seem to think that Jesus’ disciples are less spiritual somehow because instead of fasting and praying, they seem to be feasting all the time. And Jesus says that they should be feasting. This is the right time to feast. It’s appropriate to feast when the bridegroom is here. When the groom is taken away, then the time will be right for mourning and fasting and tears, but while the groom is present, what better to do than feast? A wedding party is no time for tears and fasting. It’s the right time for celebration and hope. There is a time for everything, and the wedding is not the time for sadness but for joy. Jesus knows that his followers should enjoy his presence while he is with them. There will be time for mourning when he is taken away.

This is good advice for all of us.  When I’m writing this, the weather is gorgeous and I’m still on summer vacation. By the time you read it, I will be back at school. I’m not sure what the weather will be like. So I need to get outside and sit in my hammock and read something fun today, because in a couple more weeks I will not have the free time. Now is the time to enjoy the time and opportunity I have before me now. When school starts up again, I can mourn my lazy afternoons.

When I got married, the wedding ‘feast’ was wonderful and lasted long into the evening.  It was a joyful celebration, full of hope that our life together would also last a long time. Unfortunately, my groom was taken from me a few years later. There has been plenty of time for mourning these past two years, but there was none while my groom was still with me in this life. We feasted and we travelled and we enjoyed every second we had together. I appreciate all the beautiful memories. And I’m so glad we celebrated and did things while we could.

The most spiritual thing Jesus’ disciples can do is to enjoy their Lord while he is with them in this life. When he is taken from them, they can fast and pray, but while he is here they should eat and drink and talk together and enjoy the experience. And while there is nothing wrong with fasting and praying, we should also remember that our Lord is always with us and we should eat with him and drink with him and talk with him and enjoy the experience.