Gospel (Mt 9,14-17) - At that time, John's disciples approached Jesus and said to him: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast many times, while your disciples do not fast?". And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of rough cloth on an old dress, because the patch takes something away from the dress and the tear becomes worse. Nor do you pour new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the wineskins break and the wine spills and the wineskins are lost. But new wine is poured into new wineskins, and so both are preserved."

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

John's disciples, who led a more austere life than that of Jesus' disciples, asked him directly about this difference: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast many times, while your disciples do not fast?". John's disciples ask to understand. We must never be ashamed of letting Jesus help us. The master responds with the image of the coming of the groom and compares the disciples to the groom's friends who prepared and participated in the wedding which, obviously, was supposed to be a moment of great celebration. With Jesus the true "groom" came among men, the one who came to redeem humanity from the condition of sterility. The meaning of life with Jesus takes on the garb of celebration, but, Jesus warns, difficult moments will also come. They will come for himself; in this reference we glimpse the days of passion. Likewise they will come for the disciples and for the communities. How can we not think of the countless persecutions that still affect Jesus' disciples today? Then, during the difficult days, the disciples "will fast", adds Jesus. But first it is necessary to dress up and drink the wine of mercy; this will make you strong even in difficult times. The old wineskins that Jesus talks about are the usual mental and religious patterns. Evangelical love requires new hearts, that is, hearts free from prejudice, to welcome the very love of God. Resistance to the newness of the Word of God means closing oneself to the Spirit. The Gospel of love frees us from closure and narrowness to involve us in the broad horizons of God.