Jesus today in the gospel reminds us of the scandal of the incarnation.
"No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch and old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match an old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine in 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 drinking old wine desires new, for he says, "the old is good."
Where is the scandal?
In the incarnation, God takes the new and seeks to patch the old. In God becoming man, in the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, the new garment is torn as the lance pierces the Heart of Christ; the new wine is spilled as the old wineskin is burst asunder and new love shines forth in the obedience of Christ unto death.
The fidelity of Christ reveals to us the glory of man alive.
In deed no one tears a new to patch the old; no one pours new lest the old burst asunder. Yet, this is exactly what someone does; God is scandalous in his love for us. He takes the old wisdom and shows it to be foolish.
St. Paul reminded us yesterday, "the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God."
The scandal of the incarnation shines forth as wisdom from generation to generation as the Heart of Christ, torn open for all to see, testifies through all ages.
Sometimes we have to let go of the old and embrace the new thus allowing the old wineskin of our old habits, thoughts, cares, concerns, ways of acting and doing be burst asunder by the new mode of living exhibited in Christ the scandal.
The old is good but the new is better for it transforms the old into what it was always meant to be.
We are the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, as St. Paul proclaims. We are servants and stewards of the scandal of the Incarnation.
St. Irenaeus reminds us that to receive the Eucharist is to drink in the new wine, allowing the old to be burst asunder and enabling the grace to transform us from within for "having received the Eucharist, we are no longer corruptible, because we have the hope of resurrection burning within us."
May we keep the flame alive with every act of fidelity to Christ who reveals the scandalous love of the Father.
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