1/19/2026 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reading: Mark 2:18-22

18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
22 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

1/19/2026 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Mark 2:18-22

Change is often uncomfortable because it challenges what feels familiar and safe. In the Gospel reading above, Jesus addresses this tension by showing that new life cannot be fully contained within old patterns. His message is not about rejecting the past, but about recognizing when old ways can no longer hold what God is doing now.

One outdated mindset is the belief that faith is primarily about rigid routines rather than living relationship. When faith becomes reduced to rules, schedules, and outward performance, it can lose its joy and power. Many people still believe that being spiritual means doing the “right” things to earn approval. What Jesus invites us to embrace instead is a faith rooted in relationship, one that flows from love, gratitude, and trust. Spiritual disciplines remain valuable, but they must serve life, not replace it.

Another outdated mindset is resistance to change simply because “this is how it has always been done.” This thinking can quietly block growth. Whether in families, communities, churches, or personal lives, clinging too tightly to old forms can prevent new possibilities. Jesus teaches that new life requires new openness. What we are called to embrace is flexibility, being willing to learn, adjust, and grow as God leads us into fresh understanding and deeper maturity.

There is also the mindset that spirituality thrives on seriousness alone. Some believe that joy, celebration, or rest weakens faith. Yet Jesus presents a vision where renewal brings life, not heaviness. In today’s context, this challenges us to let go of guilt-driven faith and embrace joy-filled obedience. Faith that reflects God’s grace should bring hope, not exhaustion.

Another old way of thinking is assuming that transformation can happen without inner change. We may try to improve behavior while ignoring the heart. Jesus makes it clear that real change begins within. Instead of merely managing appearances, we are invited to embrace inner renewal—allowing God to reshape our values, attitudes, and desires. When the heart is renewed, actions naturally follow.

In modern life, outdated mindsets can include believing that our past defines us, that failure disqualifies us, or that growth has limits. Jesus offers something radically new: forgiveness that restores, grace that empowers, and life that continually renews. What we are called to embrace is hope, that God is still working and that change is always possible.

The message of the Gospel passage reminds us that God is not interested in patching up old lives with temporary fixes. He offers something new and whole. To receive it, we must be willing to let go of what no longer fits and make room for what brings life.

True transformation happens when we stop trying to force the new into the old and instead open our lives fully to the renewing work of God, where faith becomes alive, dynamic, and full of hope.

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