HomilyforWednesdayofthe3rdWeekofLent
March22,2017
ScriptureReadings:Deuteronomy4:1,5-9✠Psalm147✠Matthew5:17-19
J
esus made brilliant use ofimageryto
describe what is important in life. He
compares His ministry to new wine,
thensaysthatthisnewwinerequirednew
wine-skins. In other words, the traditional
way of doing things would no longer be
enough.Yet,Jesusalsohadgreatrespectfor
his tradition, for His own Jewish tradition,
and the Scriptures of His people nourished
andinspiredHim.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares that He has come
not toabolishthe Law and the prophets but tocompletethem. He
did not pretend to be starting from scratch. There was much in
Jewish tradition that He valued, but He wanted to bring that
tradition to a greater richness and fullness; He came
torenewIsrael’stradition,nottotossitaside.Hisattitudesuggests
that we don’t simply discard our religious tradition but neither
shouldweidolizeitintoasetofabsoluterulesanddogmas.
TheChurchisalwaysinneedofreformandrenewal;thenew
wine of the Holy Spirit will always require new wine-skins. The
work of renewal will always involve honoring what is best in our
traditionbyallowingitsrichpotentialtobefullyrealized.✠