New wine is poured into fresh wineskins
Today we are listening to a Gospel passage that talks about fasting ... but is it really about fasting? What truths does today's Scripture tell us? Let us check. “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?”
The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees ask a question: Why do we fast, and your disciples do not. This question was related to the observance of certain traditions and rituals that were important for John's disciples and Pharisees' disciples. It is difficult to judge what significance they had for spiritual development. However, they were an important, one could say – inherent element of being a disciple of a prophet or a Pharisee. 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. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.” Jesus compared himself to the bridegroom. The bridegroom, the groom is the most important person at the wedding next to the bride. So, it is hard to fast when you are at a wedding. The Good News that Jesus brings is the Joyful News, it is a completely new quality, one could say - a revolution. It is therefore difficult to be sad, worried and fast.
Many of us make this mistake of thinking on the assumption that to be a Christian is to be sad. A serious man, spiritual in a way detached from reality. Many think that sublime/glorious celebrations, full of such majesty and seriousness this is the core of our faith. Yes, Bach's religious works are beautiful. I like the Toccata et Fuga g-mol played in the church, but that is only half the truth about us, believers. There is really nothing wrong with youth mass, clapping in praise and genuine joy in prayer. Two pillars are needed. Traditionalists' indignation, grimacing at the sight of "youth masses." is a manifestation of a misunderstanding of the words of Jesus. Whoever has experienced the living God cannot be sad, cannot be serious. The Eucharist is a really joyful time.
This is the time of meeting our Teacher. How can you not rejoice then? Let us see what Jesus says next in today's passage: “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak… Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.” Old patch it is old order. Old wineskins are old order. Old order is tradition (but misunderstood tradition). A tradition that is completely closed to freshness, to youth spirit. This is a traditional Pharisaic, which screams: nothing new, under any circumstances, our ideal system cannot be disturb. It is a complete closure in our own world, not allowing ourselves to be mistaken. New cloth, new wine .... It is a breath of fresh air. It is the breath of the Holy Spirit, which crushes all that is fossilized. New wine cannot be poured into old wineskins because new wine is full of energy. There are still fermentation processes taking place in it. Its freshness, strength bursts old wineskins.
And that is what we should be ...
Only in this way will we show that Christianity is not a religion of sorrows and malcontents.
Only in this way will we show that Christianity IS the religion of people who are:
Young in spirit
Happy
Vigorous
Dynamic
Full of enthusiasm to proclaim the Good News everywhere.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george