Word to the Wise
Saturday, July 4, 2009 - Saturday in the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time - Independence Day U.S.A.
[Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29 and Matthew 9:14-17]People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather they pour new wine into fresh wineskins and both are preserved.
I suppose the word "both" refers to the new wine and the skins considered collectively! I'd hate to think that the old wineskins are left out of the equation! At my age, 66, I become more and more aware of the wear and tear on my wineskin! I'd also like to think that whatever old wine is still left is getting better with age! Jesus' use of this bit of folk wisdom has many levels that would take a lot of space and time to consider. I would offer this one reflection. There may be a question here of recognizing the need for making a future possible for the faith. The church is a very large and very old wineskin. There is a danger of believing that there is no such thing as "new" wine or that new wineskins are possible. This is a perennial challenge, represented in the Latin expression: Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda. (The reformed church is always in need of further reformation.) On this anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence, perhaps we might give some thought to applying the same folk wisdom to our national project. Both Church and State, as well as us as individuals can benefit from this gospel wisdom! AMEN
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