New Wine

To accept the meaning of Christ - what the new wine of His presence with us means - our hearts need to be as “new wine skins” so as not to burst. But what does that mean?

One way that has been helpful for me is to imagine allowing myself to move from a legalistic way of thinking of God to a relational way, or from a contractual way of relating to Him to a covenantal way, as we said a few days ago.

In the Gospel being read at Mass today (Lk 5:33-39), Christ speaks of this need. He is the New Wine being poured into our hearts by the Father. And both desire not that our hearts burst, but that they be filled.

The key to understanding how to receive Christ without “bursting,” that is, without resisting or resenting Him, is to reserve all judgment - even the judgment of the state of our own souls - to God.

The Pharisees represent all in our thinking that is legalistic and contractual. They are the old wine skins. In regard to their resentment of the disciples, the Pharisees are condemned by Jesus for, “making the wedding guests fast.” God doesn’t make them fast when they are with Christ, but only when they are away from Him.

The Pharisees, however, cannot see the presence of God. They relate to Him only in a distant way. They see the way to God as barred by rules and laws. But whereas the Pharisees “make” the disciples fast, Jesus “makes” them fishers of men. And the reason that disciples of Jesus can become fishers of men is because the disciples of Christ live in the presence of God.

No one is attracted to a legalistic way of thinking of God. But one who senses His presence can hardly help but be drawn to Him. +