In Jesus’ time, new wine was put in jars or wineskins (usually tanned goat skins). When wine is fresh, it is in a state of fermentation, causing it to bubble and expand and released gases. These gases cause the new and pliable wineskin to stretch and enables it to absorb the expansion of the new wine. To put fresh wine into old wineskin is simply not going to work. The old wineskin has been stretched and is not anymore pliable. It will burst. And so both the wine and the wineskin are lost.

We cannot put new ideas into old mindsets. We cannot get new results with old behaviors. 2016 is here. New year. New wine. New wineskin. The start of a new year is an opportune time for us to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel – it is a time to take stock to evaluate where we are and to embrace new directions. We can’t put new ideas into old mind-sets. So how do we get these new wineskins which will enable our “newness” to emerge?

The core of Jesus’ message is this: let us repent for our sins, renew our lives and revitalize our faith. We turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance and comfort as we strive to be new wineskins that Jesus is inviting us to be.