Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Throughout His ministry, Jesus used powerful imagery to describe what is essential in life. In all three synoptic Gospels, He compared His ministry to new wine, saying that this new wine required new wineskins. Otherwise, the skins would burst. In other words, more than the traditional way of doing things would be needed. 

However, Jesus greatly respected tradition, particularly His Jewish tradition, and the Scriptures of His people that nourished and inspired Him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that He had come not to abolish the Law and the prophets but to fulfill them. He did not intend to start from scratch, as He valued the Jewish tradition greatly. Instead, He aimed to bring it to a more extraordinary richness and fullness; He came to renew Israel’s tradition rather than discard it. 

Jesus' attitude suggests that we should not abandon our religious tradition, nor should we idolize it into a set of absolute rules and dogmas. Instead, the work of renewal will always involve honoring what is best in our tradition by allowing its rich potential to be fully realized and being open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide us in new ways.