Are We New Wineskins? (StVdP)

Are We New Wineskins?
Reflection for St. Vincent de Paul Meeting, January 18, 2016
Dcn. Bob Bonomi

There is an old story that compares corporate traditions to five monkeys and a banana.  There once was a scientific experiment where researchers placed five monkeys in a large cage with a pyramid in the middle of it.  Periodically, they would hang a banana over the top of the pyramid, and whenever a monkey would climb up to get the banana, they used a fire-hose to spray the other monkeys.  The monkeys quickly learned that, if one of their number tried to get the banana, the rest of them would be hosed down so they began to prevent each other from going for the banana.  Pretty soon, none of the monkeys would try for the banana.

Once they were trained, the researchers removed one of the monkeys, replacing him with a new monkey who had never seen the fire hose. Sure enough, when a banana was hung over the pyramid, the new monkey would try to get it but the other monkeys would stop it.  Pretty soon the monkey would stop trying.  One by one the monkeys were replaced with new monkeys until there were no monkeys left who had ever seen the fire hose.  But they never tried for the banana, because "that's how it's always been."

Pope Francis, during his morning Mass at Santa Marta today, said that a Christian who hides behind the notion that “this is how it’s always been done...” is committing a sin, becomes idolatrous and disobedient, and lives a “patched up, half and half life”, because his heart is closed to the “newness of the Holy Spirit”.

Are we closed to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives?  When is something that we encounter considered "good" wine that we should embrace?  And, when is it vinegar that would poison us if we embraced it?  Discernment of spirits is a difficult task at best, and frustrating and deadly at worst.

But we do have a master vintner to help us - Jesus - and an excellent winery - the Church.  Especially during this week of Christian Unity, we should open our hearts in prayer and focus on the mighty acts of the Lord both through the Church and through our personal experiences.  As Vincentians, our ministry may be the vessel that will help others encounter the Lord's mighty works, and we must always be aware of the brittleness in our own lives that may keep us from being open and loving to those we meet.  The challenges we face - the lifestyles, the life situations - of our clients will always challenge us but as long as we continue to draw into ourselves the love of the Lord and His mercy, we will be able to "stretch" with the Holy Spirit and in turn offer the sweetness of the Good News to those we serve.  May they drink fully of His loving Mercy, especially during this Jubilee Year.  It should be a very good year.