Saturday of Week 13 in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green. Year A(II).
First Reading
Amos 9:11-15
It is the Lord who speaks:
‘That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David, make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins and rebuild it as it was in the days of old, so that they can conquer the remnant of Edom and all the nations that belonged to me.’
It is the Lord who speaks, and he will carry this out.
‘The days are coming now – it is the Lord who speaks – when harvest will follow directly after ploughing, the treading of grapes soon after sowing, when the mountains will run with new wine and the hills all flow with it.
I mean to restore the fortunes of my people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, plant vineyards and drink their wine, dig gardens and eat their produce.
I will plant them in their own country, never to be rooted up again out of the land I have given them, says the Lord, your God.’
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 84(85):9,11-14
Response: The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends
and those who turn to him in their hearts.
Response: The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
Response: The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Response: The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Gospel
Matthew 9:14-17
John's disciples came to Jesus and said,
‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’
Jesus replied,
‘Surely the bridegroom's attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost.
No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.’
Reflection
The Book of Amos closes with one of the most hope-filled promises in the Old Testament. After chapters filled with warnings, calls to repentance, and announcements of judgement, God reveals his ultimate purpose: restoration.
"I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel."
This promise extends far beyond rebuilding cities or restoring harvests. It points towards God's enduring desire to renew his covenant people. Throughout salvation history, judgement is never God's final word. His justice prepares the way for mercy, and his discipline is always directed towards healing rather than destruction. The Catechism reminds us that God remains faithful to his covenant even when his people are unfaithful, continually drawing humanity back to himself through his mercy (CCC 210-214).
The Psalm beautifully echoes this promise.
"Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced."
These are not opposing qualities in God. His justice and mercy work together perfectly. God does not ignore sin, but neither does he abandon sinners. His desire is always reconciliation, leading his people back into communion with him. Every page of Scripture reveals this faithful love reaching its fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
The Gospel introduces another image of renewal. John's disciples ask why Jesus' followers do not fast as others do. Christ answers by describing himself as the Bridegroom. While the Bridegroom is present, the proper response is not mourning but joyful celebration.
Jesus then speaks two short parables.
A new patch cannot repair an old garment.
New wine cannot be poured into old wineskins.
These simple images reveal a profound truth. The Kingdom of God is not merely an improvement upon the old way of living. Christ has come to establish the New Covenant. Hearts transformed by grace must become like fresh wineskins—open, flexible, and ready to receive the new life of the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism teaches that Christ brings the definitive fulfilment of God's plan of salvation. The Old Covenant finds its completion in him, who makes all things new (CCC 1965-1968).
These readings invite us to examine our own hearts.
Are we allowing Christ to renew us?
Or are we trying to contain the Gospel within old habits, old resentments, old fears, or comfortable routines?
Conversion is not simply changing our behaviour. It is allowing Christ to reshape our hearts so that his grace can flourish within us.
Amos proclaims God's promise to restore.
The Psalm celebrates God's peace.
The Gospel calls us to become new.
Together they proclaim the same hope:
God has not finished his work in us.
The Lord who rebuilt Israel continues to rebuild every heart that is willing to trust him. No failure is beyond his mercy. No life is beyond renewal. The Bridegroom still comes to his people, inviting us to leave behind what is old and to embrace the abundant life found only in him.
One line to carry today
Let Christ make your heart a new wineskin, ready to receive the fullness of his grace.
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