New wine, new skins

Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time 6th September 2013

Coloss. 1:15-20.

Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross (through Him), whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Ps 100(99):1b-2.3.4.5.

Sing joyfully to the LORD all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song. 

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
His courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.  

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.

Luke 5:33-39.

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same ; but yours eat and drink."
Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days."
And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, 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.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"


Commentary of the day :

In Jewish tradition, Elijah was not only a renowned prophet of Israel.  He was also a bit of a trickster and magician, teaching the proud people very hard lessons.  Once, Elijah was walking through a town, when he heard the sounds of a party coming from a very large and beautiful house.  He whirled around and instantly became clothed in the rags of a beggar.  He knocked on the door of the house and when the host answered he took one look at Elijah’s miserable clothing and slammed the door in his face. Elijah whirled around a second time, and was instantly clothed in the fine garments of a gentleman.  He knocked on the door again and, this time when the host looked at his splendid attire, he ushered him in immediately.  At the feast,  there was a long table full of food.  Elijah went to it immediately and began to stuff food into his pockets.  The other guests all stepped back to watch this strange sight.  Then Elijah pushed more food into his shirt and poured wine over his shoulders and down the front of his fine attire.  It was not long before the host became irritated and asked Elijah, "What do you mean by this unseemly behaviour?"  "I came to your door dressed in rags," replied Elijah, "and you did not invite me in.  Then I came to your door – the same person – dressed in fine garments and you welcomed me to your feast.  I could only conclude that it was not me you invited but my clothes.  So I fed them with your food and drink."  The story says that the people were ashamed and looked down.  When they looked up, Elijah was gone.

Catechism of the Catholic Church § 313-314

"The bridegroom is with them"

"We know that in everything God works for good for those who love him" (Rom 8:28). The constant witness of the saints confirms this truth: Saint Catherine of Siena said to "those who are scandalized and rebel against what happens to them": "Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind."

St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter: "Nothing can come but that that God wills. and I make me very sure that whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the best."
 

Dame Julian of Norwich: "Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly keep me in the faith... and that at the same time I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in what our Lord shewed in this time - that 'all manner (of) thing shall be well.'" And: “Thou shalt see thyself that all manner of thing shall be well.”

We firmly believe that God is master of the world and of its history. But the ways of his providence are often unknown to us. Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God "face to face" (1Cor 13,12) will we fully know the ways by which - even through the dramas of evil and sin - God has guided His creation to that definitive sabbath rest for which he created heaven and earth.