Fresh Wineskins

September 5, 2008

Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.” Luke 5:37-38

Piety

Let us pray: Father, prepare us as your would prepare new wineskins so that we may become a place where the body and blood of your Son will dwell. Jesus, we welcome your holy presence into our very earthy beings so you can make yourself at home. Then, as your nourish and strengthen our very sustenance, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to fulfill your commands at the appropriate time, allowing you to being to light what is hidden and manifest the motives of our hearts. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/090508.shtml

Are you content with the old? Do you wish for the good old days? Or are you excited by the new experiences that unfold for you every day?

There is a time and a place for a healthy dose of nostalgia. However, Jesus is pointing his followers in a new direction.

The literal interpretation of today’s readings takes on Jewish law head-on. No wonder that the Pharisees would move to turn Jesus over to the Romans. Fasting was a revered practice in Mosaic Law. Among other meanings, it was a sign of mourning. As such, Jesus explains that it would be as inappropriate at this time of joy, when Jesus is proclaiming the kingdom, as it would be at a marriage feast. At the same time, the teaching foreshadows a time when Jesus will no longer be with the disciples visibly. Then, and only then, would there be a time for fasting and mourning.

In the notes from the NAB, we learn that “the bridal metaphor expresses a new relationship of love between God and his people in the person and mission of Jesus to his disciples. It is the inauguration of the new and joyful messianic time of fulfillment and the passing of the old. Therefore, any attempt at assimilating the Pharisaic practice of fasting, or of extending the preparatory discipline of John's disciples beyond the arrival of the bridegroom, would be as futile as sewing a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak or pouring new wine into old wineskins with the resulting destruction of both cloth and wine.”

This metaphor of the fresh wineskins or the patched cloak explains the unsuitability of attempting to combine the old and the new. Jesus’ teaching is not a patching up of certain Jewish customs that people want to change. This is not some new cult that can be contained within the limits of the old laws and traditions. Instead, Jesus introduces new ways of living that replace the old, familiar practices with new ways of operations.

We must be on guard against too much satisfaction with the old, tried-and-true ways of operations. Because such comfort with the old will lead to rejection of the new wine that Jesus offers. That rejection will lead to mourning and fasting.

Action

How can we expand out horizons beyond the knowledge with which we are most comfortable or that with we are least familiar?

According to the National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study, after years of combat and nearly thousands of U.S. military deaths in Iraq, nearly two-thirds of Americans aged 18 to 24 still cannot find Iraq on a map. The study released six months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, 33 percent could not point out Louisiana on a U.S. map.

The Late Senator Paul Simon’s book suggests that you pick a nation outside of Europe, Canada, or Japan and study this new area. Many Americans learned some new things about China during the recent Summer Olympics in Beijing. Simon writes:

“We tend to focus our interest on Western Europe, probably because many of us have family ties there, however remote they may be. We feel a cultural connection to that part of the world. But, we should also pay more attention to the impoverished areas, because it is politically important for the United States and, from a humanitarian viewpoint, we should give opportunity to the poor of the world.”

With such knowledge, you will fell more of a connection to respond to any humanitarian crisis in this region, provide aid and work to prevent armed conflict.

Don’t stop with library knowledge, either. If you can, visit the country firsthand and get some insight to promote understanding of something new.