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"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation".
Dear brothers and sisters,
In today's Gospel Jesus speaks about the religious practice of fasting. While fasting could be done for a variety of purposes, Jesus makes it clear that fasting is merely a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Therefore, the disciples of Jesus who were enjoying his company did not need to fast. Only those from whom the bridegroom is taken away need to fast. In other words, we fast to come closer to the Divine Bridegroom, who is Jesus. Fasting helps us to refocus our attention onto Jesus, and thus it is only a means and not an end in itself.
This is true of all the religious practices, spiritual exercises and good works that we perform. Their main purpose is to unite us to God, to bring us closer to him. The psalmist enjoins us to "seek the Lord while he may be found".
There is a great danger, then, when we reduce our religion and prayer life to only outward practices, without any focus on the meaning or the purpose for which they are done. Very often, our practices, our prayer life and all our good works become old and stale rituals; freshness and life are lacking in them. Jesus invites us prepare new wineskins for the new wine he is giving us. This new wine is none other than the gift of the Holy Spirit himself. As we receive the Holy Spirit, we will put away the old wineskins - the dead habits, customs and practices which we formerly employed without understanding their meaning. Instead, we will transform ourselves to be new wineskins - those who worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
This is true not only of our religious practices, but of our lives as well. St. Paul writes to the Corinthians: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation". In following Jesus, we will gradually move from our old sinful lives to a new life, the abundant life that Christ has come to bring us.
In the book of Revelation, the Lord says, "Behold, I make all things new". Let us pray for the grace to make of ourselves new and fresh wineskins to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit which he wants to pour out upon us.
