A homily on Luke 5:33–39, beginning with a story of church bells, showing how Christ brings a new spirit to our hearts and families. (5-9-25)
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There was a church in a village, and it had a long bell tower. The sound of the bell was so beautiful, and it was not only a call to prayer but a voice that gave peace to the whole village. Farmers, mothers, and children stopped for a moment in their work or play, and everyone remembered God. But over the years, the bell cracked, and its voice grew weak. Soon, many stopped noticing it. Life became noisier, quarrels increased, and people felt something was missing. Then one day the villagers gathered their savings and brought a new bell. When its sound filled the air, strong and clear, hearts lifted again. Families prayed together, neighbours reconciled, and peace returned. The new bell had not only replaced the old, it had brought a new spirit to the people.
This story helps us understand today’s Gospel. Jesus says, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins.” The word “new” touches us deeply. He came to give us a new way of living, a new way of praying, and a new way of loving. The people were asking why His disciples did not fast like others. But Jesus was not here to patch up old cloth or pour new wine into old skins. He came to make everything new.
The Old Testament had already spoken of this promise. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). Jesus is the fulfilment of this promise. He is the new wine, and He pours His Spirit into our lives if only we are ready to receive Him.
Saint Augustine once prayed, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” This restlessness is the thirst for the new wine that only Jesus can give. Old ways of sin, grudges, and bitterness cannot hold His gift. We need to become new wineskins, ready to receive His joy.
In our families too, this is very real. Many times we try to hold on to old wounds or habits. We expect peace, but we carry anger and complaints. It is like trying to pour new wine into cracked skins. If we want Christ’s joy in our homes, we must let go of the old and allow His Spirit to make us new. A family that prays together, even with simple words, becomes a new wineskin that holds God’s blessing.
Saint Francis of Assisi lived this newness in a striking way. He did not try to patch the old world. When God called him, he began to live with new simplicity and joy. He became a fresh wineskin, and through him the new wine of Christ flowed to many hearts.
Still, Jesus reminds us that people often say, “The old is good.” We too may be tempted to cling to the past. Yet, just as the new bell gave life back to the village, so the new wine of Christ gives life to our families and communities. Moses led the people from slavery to the new land, and Jesus now leads us from sin to a new life filled with His love.
So let us not fear the new wine of Jesus. Let us open our hearts and allow Him to make us new wineskins. Then His Spirit will ring through us like a clear bell, bringing joy, forgiveness, and peace to our families and to all who meet us.
Lord Jesus, renew me and transform me to a new creation. Amen.
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God Bless…
