Jesus speaks to us in the readings about the need for new wineskins, which needs to start with each of us
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Jesus speaks to us this week in the Gospel of Mark about the need for new wineskins.
It’s easy to look at the political and cultural worlds and long for new wineskins.
We’re certainly looking at our parishes and schools these days and thinking about new wineskins.
But, reflecting on the recent SEEK24 conference, let me suggest that the first place to focus in our search for new wineskins is our own lives. That’s not to discount the need for new wineskins in the world and in parishes and schools! It’s only to recognize that genuine renewal in external structures begins with internal renewal in individuals. It’s easier to look at others and expect change in them; it’s harder, but ultimately more fruitful, to work on changes in ourselves.
Here’s a simple way to examine ourselves. Do I have habits of acting — either by commission or omission — that could use new wineskins? Do I have habits of feeling — either by commission or omission — that could use new wineskins? Do I have habits of thinking — either by commission or omission – that could use new wineskins?
Most of us can name some sins of commission — things we do — that we’d like to change in our lives. But let me suggest some sins of omission — things we fail to do — where we could desperately use new wineskins in the Church. For example, do I come to Mass but not make time to interact with fellow parishioners in a significant way before or after? When people at work ask about my weekend, do I neglect to mention anything about faith? When I talk to other people, do I ask in some way about their relationship with God? Do I lean into the complexity of issues when it comes to applying faith to daily life, or am I content with superficial answers because they’re quicker?
We often expect changes in the Church to come from a program and to be carried out by someone else. What we’ve learned from FOCUS missionaries, which was on abundant display at SEEK24, is that the new wineskins we need today come from individuals discipling other individuals more than they come from programs. Individual discipling is carried out by each of us, not by someone else, in a thousand daily personal interactions.
What happens to the bread and wine at Mass? They become the Body and Blood of Jesus. What happens to us when we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus? Are we transformed, too? How does that transformation show up in our lives?
We need to work on answering that question for ourselves and with one another. When we do so, we’ll be able to make a powerful invitation to the world to develop new wineskins. And we’ll be able to lead the way because we will have become new wineskins ourselves.
