Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã khuyến cáo các môn đệ của Ngài về việc "khép kín tâm hồn" không chấp nhận về những điều khám phá mới về Thiên Chúa và cách sống Đạo của chúng ta. Chúa Giêsu đã dùng một hình ảnh rất quen thuộc với các môn đề và những người theo Chúa thời bấy giờ; đó là: bầu da đựng rượu, Da mới mới và da cũ. Trong thời Chúa Giêsu, rượu thường được lưu trữ trong các bầu làm bằng da, Khi rượu mới đổ vào bầu da thì rượu mới vẫn còn lên men. Các chất khí khi lên men sẽ gây áp lực cho cho bầu da đựng rượu. Da mới đựng rượu mới thì mới có thể có đủ độ đàn hồi và chịu đựng được những áp lực do sự phản ứng hoá học khi rượu lên men trong bầu da. Nhưng nếu chúng ta đựng rượu mới trong bầu da rượu cũ, thì bầu da cũ sẽ dễ dàng căng ra và làm vỡ bầu da bởi vì bầu da cũ đã bị khô cứng nên rất không còn sự đàn hồi như bầu da mới nên khó chịu đựng được những áp suất của rượu mới khi chúng đang lên men
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin tuân đổ nơi chúng con ơn Chúa Thánh Thần, để chúng con có thể phát triển sự hiểu biết thêm về tình yêu và chân lý tuyệt vời của Chúa. Xin giúp chúng con biết tìm kiếm Chúa để chúng con có thể từ bỏ tất cả những những ý nghĩ vẩn vơ, Xin giúp chúng con có thể luôn luôn tìm thấy niềm vui hạnh phúc trong sự hiểu biết, yêu thương và phục vụ Chúa."
In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about the problem of the "closed mind" that refuses to learn new things. Jesus used an image familiar to his audience; new and old wineskins. In Jesus' times, wine was stored in wineskins, not bottles. New wine poured into skins was still fermenting. The gases exerted gave pressure. New wine skins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wine skins easily burst because they became hard as they aged. What did Jesus mean by this comparison? Are we to reject the old in place of the new? Just as there is a right place and a right time for fasting and for feasting, so there is a right place for the old as well as the new.
Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old (Matthew 13:52). How impoverished we would be if we only had the Old Testament or the New Testament, rather than both. The Lord Jesus gives us wisdom so we can make the best use of both the old and the new. He doesn't want us to hold rigidly to the past and to be resistant to the new work of his Holy Spirit in our lives. He wants our minds and hearts to be like the new wine skins – open and ready to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Are you eager to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God's word and plan for your life
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” Luke 5:33–35
Though most of the scribes and Pharisees rejected the ministry of John the Baptist, here they attempt to use his discipline of fasting as a weapon to criticize Jesus. But our Lord, perceiving the hollowness of their accusation, turns it into an opportunity for divine revelation. He discloses to them, and to us, a profound truth about His identity: He is the Bridegroom.
By doing so, Jesus draws from the rich prophetic imagery of Isaiah and Hosea, which portrays God as the divine Spouse of Israel. Isaiah declared, “As a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you” (Isaiah 62:5). Hosea, speaking the word of the Lord, proclaimed, “You shall call me ‘My husband’… I will betroth you to me forever” (cf. Hosea 2:18–22).
This exchange exposes not only the Pharisees’ superficial religiosity but also unveils a central mystery of salvation: In Christ, God draws near in spousal love. To follow Him is to enter into a covenant of joy and grace.
Though nuptial imagery might seem more naturally relatable to women, it expresses a truth that transcends gender. Just as “a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” (Genesis 2:24), so each soul is called to a transforming union with Christ. This is not merely symbolic; it is a real and spiritual union. We are called to become His Mystical Body. Saint Paul captures this mystery when he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:19–20).
In Heaven, when this Divine Union is fully realized, fasting and other penitential acts will be unnecessary. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the disciples did not fast because the Bridegroom was with them—an extraordinary grace unique to those three years. But after He was “taken away,” fasting took on a new importance, becoming a participation in His Passion and a preparation for the Wedding Feast to come.
Reflect today on the glorious end to which you are called: union with Christ, your Bridegroom. This journey requires sacrifice, so fasting and penance remain essential. Yet when we keep our eyes fixed on the joy of Divine Union, every sacrifice becomes lighter and a joyful embrace of love. The difficulty of fasting and penance is overshadowed by the union they help bring about. Resolve to fast, to pray, and to stay close to Christ, the Bridegroom of your soul. He is the faithful Spouse who will never abandon you.
Bridegroom of Your Church, You came to enter into union with us, Your sons and daughters by grace. By Your Incarnation, You wedded Yourself to humanity, and through Your Passion, You purified Your Bride, the Church. As I journey toward the Wedding Feast of Heaven, purify me now through acts of penance and prayer, so that my soul may be ready for the Divine Union to come. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. Luke on Jesus as the Bridegroom: Each of the Four Gospels identifies Jesus as the bridegroom. Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies and as the King of the Jews. Jesus is the royal bridegroom. Mark focuses on Jesus’ suffering, servanthood, and the cost of discipleship. Jesus is the suffering bridegroom, who will be taken away for a time. Jesus gives his life as a ransom for many, for his bride (Mark 10:45). In John, Jesus is the divine, eternal bridegroom, and the source of eternal life. At the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-11), Jesus provides the abundant wine of salvation for his bride. The bride is called to abide in her bridegroom (John 15:4-7). The eternal bridegroom in John is divine, offering an everlasting relationship with his people through his life-giving presence. Luke presents Jesus as the Redeemer bridegroom. Jesus is the savior of the lost, the marginalized, and sinners. Jesus’ mission is to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10), reflecting a bridegroom who pursues his bride to restore her. The redeemer bridegroom in Luke is compassionate, seeking to restore and reconcile humanity to God. All four dimensions complement one another. Jesus is our royal bridegroom who invites us to the kingdom’s wedding feast. Jesus is our suffering bridegroom who dies to save his bride. Jesus is the redeemer bridegroom, who pays our debt and frees us from the slavery of sin. Jesus is the divine bridegroom, who seeks eternal union with his bride.
“Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” Luke 5:37–39
This short parable comes at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He just called Levi, the tax collector, to become one of His disciples, and then Levi invited Jesus to dine at his home with other tax collectors and sinners. When the scribes and Pharisees saw this, they objected and challenged our Lord. In response, Jesus tells this parable as a way of explaining that He came to call everyone to change and to experience a new transformation of their life.
The “new wine” spoken of in this parable is the grace poured forth from the Cross. Remember that blood and water sprung forth from His side as He hung upon the Cross. This has been symbolically understood as the grace and mercy given to us from the Cross, which is transmitted today through the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Baptism transforms us into a new creation, and, as a new creation in Christ, we must desire the new wine of the Most Holy Eucharist so as to be daily transformed by our Lord.
Many of the Church Fathers point out that the “old wine” that many prefer is a reference to those who wanted to continue living according to the old law. This is especially true of the scribes and Pharisees to whom Jesus was speaking this parable. Jesus was bringing them a new teaching and preparing them for a new grace. But they rejected it, preferring the old life they were living.
One thing this tells us is that if we are to receive this new wine of the grace of God, we must be ready and willing to abandon our old selves and become new. Change can be hard. Even as evangelized Christians who are already living in the grace of Christ, we will be continually called to a deeper and deeper change in our lives. Too often we can easily become complacent and content with the life we are living. When that happens, it will hinder our Lord from pouring the new wine of His grace into our souls in ongoing superabundance.
How do you deal with change in life? If you want to grow in holiness, you can be certain that change is the only constant in life. We must become new creations each and every day, growing, being more fully transformed, changing our ways, giving up the old and embracing that which is ever new. This requires a certain amount of courage as we come face-to-face with the daily need to be changed by grace. It means daily death to our old self and daily becoming a new creation in God.
Reflect, today, upon the courage it takes to change. What is it in your life that you may be afraid to change? What “old wine” do you prefer over the “new wine” of God’s grace? What old habits or attachments do you have that our Lord wants you to let go of? Face the changes God wants for you with courage and trust, and You will indeed become more fully the new creation in Christ you are meant to be.
My most merciful Lord, I know You call me to continual change in my life. Please give me the courage I need to face all that I need to detach from in life and all that hinders me from becoming the glorious new creation You have called me to become. Pour forth Your abundant grace into my life, dear Lord, making me into Your new and glorious creation in grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. Luke on Jesus as the Bridegroom: Each of the Four Gospels identifies Jesus as the bridegroom. Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies and as the King of the Jews. Jesus is the royal bridegroom. Mark focuses on Jesus’ suffering, servanthood, and the cost of discipleship. Jesus is the suffering bridegroom, who will be taken away for a time. Jesus gives his life as a ransom for many, for his bride (Mark 10:45). In John, Jesus is the divine, eternal bridegroom, and the source of eternal life. At the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-11), Jesus provides the abundant wine of salvation for his bride. The bride is called to abide in her bridegroom (John 15:4-7). The eternal bridegroom in John is divine, offering an everlasting relationship with his people through his life-giving presence. Luke presents Jesus as the Redeemer bridegroom. Jesus is the savior of the lost, the marginalized, and sinners. Jesus’ mission is to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10), reflecting a bridegroom who pursues his bride to restore her. The redeemer bridegroom in Luke is compassionate, seeking to restore and reconcile humanity to God. All four dimensions complement one another. Jesus is our royal bridegroom who invites us to the kingdom’s wedding feast. Jesus is our suffering bridegroom who dies to save his bride. Jesus is the redeemer bridegroom, who pays our debt and frees us from the slavery of sin. Jesus is the divine bridegroom, who seeks eternal union with his bride.
We send messages and influence others by how we act and what we use. As Christians we are all called to be advertisement billboards for Christ. Now what does it mean to be a letter of advertisement for Christ?
Unlike the employees of a company, we do not settle merely for external patches. God's letter writing begins in the heart and spirit. The new covenant is one in which the heart of stone becomes flesh. This does not mean that we have no external signs and symbols. These are important. However, to be a real letter of advertisement for Christ means that our internal desires conform with our behavior as new creature in Christ. Our acts of charity and prayer are done so that our heavenly Father may be praised. We are the new wineskins into which the new wine has been poured. We are not a letter of gloom. We are a letter of joy and celebration. Jesus has won the ultimate victory over sin and death. People must in joy of the outpouring of the Spirit. It is so easy for us to forget who we are. God knows us by name and calls us in personal love. We in turn should be God's letters to our fellowmen telling the how much he loves them and cares for them. Each day, by every little thing that we say and do, we go about proclaiming God's goodness and telling of his wonders.
This is so if really believe that we are letters of Jesus Christ. We speak a message of love and care. And no matter how many times we are read, the message never tires or bores us. We are the new wine, and we are meant to live in joy.
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