Homily for Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus used wonderful imagery to describe what is essential in life. He compared His ministry to new wine, stating that this new wine required new wineskins. Essentially, the traditional way of doing things would no longer be enough. However, Jesus also respected His own Jewish tradition and the Scriptures of His people, which nourished and inspired Him.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that He came not to abolish the Law and the prophets, but to complete them. He did not pretend to be starting from scratch. He valued Jewish tradition greatly, but He wanted to bring it to a greater richness and fullness; He came to renew Israel’s tradition, not to discard it. His attitude suggests that we shouldn’t discard our religious tradition or idolize it as a set of static rules and practices.

The Church always needs reform and renewal; the new wine of the Holy Spirit will always require new wineskins. Renewal will always involve honoring what is best in our tradition by allowing its rich potential to be fully realized.