How difficult it can be to embrace this true faith, especially as we seek freedom in Christ from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Consider how often in his letters Paul must insist that we are free in Christ so as not to become entangled again in a legalistic religion. We can relate the Pharisees’ religiosity and its false comfort with that of addiction. In both cases, true freedom and life are lacking. Without right intention, as described in Step 3 when we offer a sincere surrender of our will to God, “right” behavior alone will not free us for life in Christ. In other words, whether it be legalism, a hardened heart, addictive behaviors, or sin in general, we are always at risk of falling if we are not vigilant in practicing true faith in Christ.

Jesus provides us with a critical insight in today’s Gospel: “And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good’” (Luke 5:39). It’s easy to fall into the trap of justifying a life of the familiar and comfortable rather than launching toward a new life led by the Spirit. We tend to prefer to drink the “old wine” of a life that may provide comfort but is lacking in the Spirit (much like the Pharisees). However, the old and the new are distinct, and we cannot combine them without destroying both. Jesus insists that the Kingdom of God must not be hindered by man-made rules or anything else that only provides false comfort, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. At first, the “new wine” of a life led by the Spirit of God may not be as “smooth” to the body, mind, and spirit as the old wine of our former life. Thankfully, in God’s unfathomable love, He provides new wineskins for this new wine through the treasury of the Catholic Church. There we find the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, His mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and a community of believers that make up His body. When we stay rooted in the Church and our recovery, we receive new spiritual wineskins to drink the “new wine” of the Spirit as opposed to the “old wine” that fails to provide real and lasting freedom.

Reflection Questions

• How do you guard against old thinking and behavioral patterns that cannot coexist with the “new wine” of recovery in Christ? How do you navigate people or places in your life that are incompatible with this “new wine”?
• Consider a time when you tried to contain your new life of recovery in the “old wineskins” of your former life. What made you realize this was unsustainable?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Colossians 1:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
Gospel: Luke 5:33-39

Reflection by Stephanie N.