Today's Holy Gospel. Friday, September 4th: "The Lord Saves the Righteous" **************************************Sto.Rosario at 10:00 PM

The Lord saves the righteous.
Faith teaches us that fidelity to God brings salvation and protection, while the novelty of Christ requires an openness of heart and mind to embrace His message.

## Fidelity as the Path
The first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians speaks about the responsibility of those who consider themselves servants of Christ. It is not about seeking human approval, but being faithful to divine intentions. Consciousness can be a guide, but the ultimate judge is the Lord. He is the one who, in the end, will illuminate darkness and reveal hidden intentions. Therefore, prudence when judging is fundamental, allowing it to be God who administers what belongs to each individual. Psalm 36 reinforces this idea, inviting trust in the Lord and doing good. Those who trinc this path, says the psalm, will dwell on earth in peace and find delight in God. Divine protection extends to those who take refuge in Him, freeing them from danger and evil. Fidelity, ultimately, is the key to a protected and fulfilling life.

## New Wine and Old Wineskins
The Gospel of Saint Luke presents a dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees and Scribes regarding fasting practices. The disciples of John and the Pharisees fasted frequently, while those of Jesus ate and drank. Jesus responded with a parable: no one cuts a piece of new cloth to mend an old cloak, nor pours new wine into old wineskins. The reason is simple: the new cloth spoils and does not fit; the new wine bursts the wineskins and is lost. The conclusion is clear: new wine requires new wineskins. This means that the novelty brought by Christ cannot be contained within old structures or mentalities. The ancient law, with its prescriptions, is superseded and rejuvenated by the full revelation of Jesus as Son of God. The invitation is to abandon mentalities bound to obsolete traditions and embrace the transformative message of Christ, which is like aged wine—always improving—requiring a renewed heart and intellect to be appreciated and preserved.

## Renewal of the Heart
The reflection on the Gospel invites us to question whether our adherence to Jesus keeps us anchored in human traditions that make us rigid, or if, on the contrary, we open ourselves to the novelty He brings. The new wine of Christ, which symbolizes forgiveness, mercy, and the celebration of fulfilled promise, requires new wineskins: a renewed intellect and will, a heart always ready to receive grace. If we cling to the old, we run the risk of becoming "vinegar," that is, something bitter and unproductive for ourselves and for others. The true novelty brought by Christ must distill life, joy, truth, and peace. The invitation is to discern whether our practices and dispositions reflect the abundance and freshness of the Gospel message, or if we have remained trapped in schemas that no longer respond to the fullness of divine revelation.

* **September 4th**
* **Saint Paul**
* **Saint Luke**
* **Psalm 36**
* **Corinth**

Saint Paul, Corinthians, Lord, John, Jesus, Pharisees, Scribes, Luke