LUKE 5:33-39 MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING NEW

Year A – Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about new wine and old wineskins. He is reminding us that His presence brings something new, and we cannot always receive that newness while stubbornly holding on to the old. Following Jesus means allowing Him to renew not only our actions but also our hearts, attitudes, and ways of thinking. The Christian life is not simply about preserving what we have always done; it is about continually allowing God to transform us.

Sometimes the “old wineskins” in our lives are not necessarily bad things. They can be old habits, familiar ways of thinking, past hurts, comfortable routines, or even the phrase, “That's just the way I am.” We may ask God to change our circumstances while resisting His invitation to change us. We want a new life but sometimes insist on using the same old attitudes. Jesus challenges us to recognize that grace may be trying to do something new in us, but we have to make room for it.

Perhaps today's Gospel invites us to ask: What old wineskin am I still holding onto that God is asking me to let go of? Maybe it is a resentment we have carried for years, a judgment we have made about someone, a fear that prevents us from moving forward, or simply our unwillingness to change. Jesus does not want to erase our past; He wants to redeem it and lead us into something new. Let us ask Him for the humility to change when He asks us to change and the courage to trust where He leads us. When we make room for Christ, He can fill our lives with a newness we could never create for ourselves.

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler