Word to the Wise
Monday, January 15, 2018 - Monday in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Sam 15:16-23 and Mark 2:18-22]MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2018. ST. FRANCIS CAPILLAS, O.P. AND COMPANIONS, Dominican Martyrs in China [1 Samuel 15:16-23 and Mark 2:18-22] "No one sees a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, it's fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Like wise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will bust the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins. [Mark] The contrast between Jesus and his disciples on the one hand, and the disciples of John the Baptist as well as the scribes and Pharisees is highlighted in today's confrontation between Jesus and his adversaries. Here it is a question of the religious practice of fasting. Jesus raises the question from one of individual religious conduct to a bigger question by using the image of a wedding celebration. Jesus becomes the bridegroom and those in the wedding party are not required to fast at a wedding! He concludes his response with the contrast of old and new cloth and wine and identifies himself and his teachings with the new. This tension between something that is traditional and something that is new is a continuing challenge in our Church. It is not a question of the older being bad but rather finding a way for the new to become part of the future. The Holy Spirit constantly renews the Church, sometimes in startling ways or through startling leadership. The question is often heard, "What's wrong with what we have? Why do we have to change?" It's not a matter of "wrong" but a matter of listening to what God is telling us about how to preach the kingdom in a world that constantly changes around us. Some traditional practices will prove to be valuable. In fact they may have been replaced in the past by current practices and need to be recovered! The Second Vatican Council showed this in the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate. However, the challenge to find new ways to share and express our faith is still there. God is offering new wine and old! AMEN
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