Gospel Reflection LK 5: 33-39

At Mass today I was struck my the Gospel. Today’s Gospel asks Jesus the question of why his disciples do not fast while John’s disciples and the Pharisees do. The answer, the guests cannot be expected to fast while the bridegroom is present.

What really struck we about the Gospel today was ‘nobody puts new wine into old wine skins’. How often in life do we try something new in an old format or in a place as it used to be? Or how often do we change our behaviour around people only to be met with the old behaviour they displayed? In essence, unless all is new success is minimal. Perseverance is the key to change. In human relationships it is true that the only person we can change is ourselves. However, if we are constant with the change in us, walking away from arguments, not shouting or whatever the change may be, the person we are in relationship with will see that change in us and in time their behaviour will also change. If we are trying to introduce something new to a place we cannot physically change the place. Yes, physically we can change how a building looks but the essence of that building/ that place, will be as it was. To introduce something new to a place, a new idea, we must first embrace what was there before. Introducing the new into the old will not work. But if we acknowledge the old, give it a place in our minds then we can introduce the new. We put our own mark on the place for new to work. Our own mark is makes the place new so that new ideas in that place will work. Take the business which changes hands for an example, a new manager will want to do things there way, to change things up. But people who use the service liked how things were. The manager can decide to keep running the business as it was but with his stamp things will not be the same. People need time to grieve for how things used to be before they are able to accept that the places now offers something new and it is not the same. No two managers will run a business the same, especially if they are passionate about their work. By running a place the same as always there is no place for new. Yes, if Bob founded a business Bob will not be forgotten but now Michael runs the business and with that comes change, the new.