From the Archives of January

Today's Gospel is from Matthew 9:14-17 where Jesus tells us a parable of the old and new. He gave us an example of sewing a piece of new cloth to old cloth and how it would pull away because it was not shrunken. When we wash this garment after the installation, what happens? The piece we sewed on shrinks but causes the fit to be awkward. Now if we had pre-shrunk the material it would fit nicely. So in a sense we need to prepare ourselves in order for us to fit in with Jesus and God's plan.
Next he gives us another example but with wineskins.What he tell us, is that how we are in our life, with sin, we are not capable of receiving new wine. It is with penance that we refresh ourselves to receive new wine (blood of Christ). Where we become in union with our Lord. Just as Jesus is one with the Father, so too shall we when we put on fresh wineskins.

I brought this one up from the archives for today. No matter what we go through in life, when we sin, we do not have room for any new wine. Reconciliation restores us to grace and allows us to put on new skin and to be filled anew with the Holy Spirit. Without cleansing we would not be able to hold within us the gift that God gives us. The blood of his Son.