Widows and Wine Skins

In Bible study, I remember reading about fasting, bridegrooms, old cloths, wine and old wineskins, Luke 5:33-39. I never quite grasped the meaning of the parable. Today our priest spoke to the Widows' Group of Spirit of Christ Catholic Community and when he explained the meaning it made sense to me. In scripture when a question was asked about fasting Christ answered, Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast. He went on to say, No one pours new wine into the old wineskins. If he does the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out an the wineskins will be ruined.

The priest talked about how being a widow was a blessing and a challenge. He said the widow will now have to change and take on a new role.  "Did you know that Jesus calls you out in scripture when he says to take care of the widows and the orphans?"  he asked. All widows share a common suffering and pain and that in itself is special. I will paraphrase what he said: You are wineskins that have been full of life, full of richness with your life complete with good years and once your spouse is gone, you will need a new wineskin when your "bridegroom" is taken from you. Grieving forces you into a place where you have to learn to live again. You question yourself about what will life be like and how will it be possible to keep on living once the spouse is gone. You have to become new wineskins. You will need to reshape your life, begin to experience new friendships, accept a new way of loving by molding and shaping yourself into a new wineskin. 

I was surprised when he compared losing a spouse to a priest having to move to a different parish. Priests also suffer grief and sorrow when they love a parish, are comfortable with friendships and then are moved. Who knew?  Priests also have to become a new wineskin by being flexible and accept the new parish and by making new friends.

He handed out a Prayer of Being Chosen and I thought how appropriate for widows to know that they are special and in making new friends it helps ease the loss they feel. Even though their spouse will always be in their hearts and thoughts, there is a peaceful grace passed on to widows. Some of the ladies cried as they listened to the talk.

I couldn't help thinking that WINGS is a good place to make friends, to enjoy chatting with friends, enjoy a few hours by sharing their lives and eating a delicious lunch. And today the priest made everyone in the room feel how God's plan was to help them handle change with grace.

"Continuous persecution of widows

and orphans is a crime. Even the Bible

says there is a special place in hell

for those that oppress widows."

Imelda Marcos