22nd Week in Ordinary Time

No one pours new wine into old wineskins.

When wine is first pressed, it continues to expand. In Jesus’ day, that meant it needed to be kept in a supple, flexible wineskin so that it had plenty of room to keep expanding. In a similar way, the life in the Spirit that we received at our Baptism is always new. It’s always expanding and changing us—if we remain flexible like that new wineskin.

One model of vibrant, “flexible” faith is Blessed Olinto Marella (1882–1969). Born in Venice, Italy, Marella entered the seminary as a young man and was classmates with the future Pope John XXIII. After his ordination in 1904, he began teaching in a local seminary. A few years later, when another priest friend ran into trouble for political activism, Fr. Marella had pity and welcomed him into his home. This “guilt by association” led the Church authorities to suspend Marella from priestly ministry for sixteen years.

Throughout this time, Fr. Marella was careful not to let his heart become hardened by anger or bitterness. He trusted that the Lord would work out his plan over time—and he did. Fr. Marella was rehabilitated in 1925 and took up the humble work of a parish priest in Bologna. There he treated the poor and needy with extraordinary compassion. Pope Francis described him as a “pastor after Christ’s heart” and honored him for his courage and humility (Angelus, October 4, 2020).

Marella also spurred other people to deeper faith and acts of mercy. And he did it in his own unique way: he would sit on a stool at a street corner, proclaiming God’s love and urging passersby to care for their suffering brothers and sisters.

What a beautiful witness to a flexible heart that kept expanding with the Lord! And what a moving example for us to follow!

It can be easy to look at the Christian life as a static set of doctrinal facts and historical data—like those old wineskins. But it’s so much more than that! Jesus gave us his Spirit to soften our hearts and open us up to serving his people in ever new and creative ways. May we all yield to the Spirit as freely as Fr. Marella did!

“Jesus, help me to be always flexible and open to the movements of your Spirit in my life!”

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Psalm 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40
Luke 5:33-39