Homily – Friday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time (Cycle I, 2025)

📖 Readings: Colossians 1:15-20 | Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5 | Luke 5:33-39


🕊️ Introduction

They say change is hard. In fact, someone joked that the only person who likes change is a wet baby! 😂 Change is uncomfortable, yet necessary for growth. Today’s readings challenge us to embrace the “new wine” of Christ and allow Him to renew our lives.

📖 The Word of God

  • Colossians 1:15-20 presents one of the earliest hymns to Christ. Paul declares Jesus as the image of the invisible God and the One in whom all things hold together. This is not just theology, but a declaration that Christ is supreme over creation and redemption.

  • Psalm 100 is a joyful hymn calling us to worship God with gladness because He made us, cares for us, and His love endures forever.

  • Luke 5:33-39 confronts the tension between the old and the new. Jesus is questioned about fasting, and He responds with images of a bridegroom and new wine in fresh wineskins. The message: the Gospel is fresh, life-giving, and cannot simply be squeezed into old categories.

🔗 Connection of the Readings

Taken together, these readings remind us that:

  • Christ is Lord of creation and redemption (Colossians).

  • Worship is our joyful response to His saving work (Psalm).

  • But to live this reality, we must be open to new ways of thinking and living (Luke).

In short: Christ renews us completely—mind, heart, and spirit. The old wineskins of sin, stubbornness, or fear cannot contain the joy of His Kingdom.

❓ Reflection Questions

  1. What “old wineskins” in my life may be preventing me from receiving Christ’s joy?

  2. How can I make Christ truly the center of my daily decisions and actions?

  3. Am I open to the Holy Spirit’s newness in my parish, family, and community?

🌍 Implications for the Jubilee Year & Synod on Synodality

  • The Jubilee Year 2025 calls us to be Pilgrims of Hope. Like new wineskins, the Church is being renewed to hold the living joy of Christ.

  • The Synod on Synodality invites us to listen, walk together, and embrace new ways of being Church without losing the truth of the Gospel. Old models of exclusion or rigidity cannot contain the Spirit’s movement today.

💡 Inspiration / Motivation

Change can feel threatening. But Jesus reminds us that the new wine of the Kingdom is not meant to destroy us—it is meant to stretch us into fullness of life.

📝 Quote

“Christ is ever young. He is always a source of newness. The faith is not a museum piece, but a living fountain.” – Pope Francis

🌟 Final Thoughts

Christ is not an optional extra—He is the very center of life. If He is truly the image of the invisible God, then everything in us must be reoriented around Him. The question today is: Am I ready to be a new wineskin for His joy?

🙏 Conclusion & Concluding Prayer

Loving Father,
You sent Your Son as the image of Your glory,
and through Him You make all things new.
Give us open hearts, like new wineskins,
ready to receive the joy of Your Kingdom.
Stretch us, renew us, and make us pilgrims of hope.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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