Fasting and the similitude of new wine and old bottles

St Luke Chapter V : Verses 33-39

Contents

• Luke v. 33-39.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Annotations (from the Catena Aurea)
• Douay-Rheims 1582 text

Luke v. 33-39.

And Jesus spoke a similitude to them. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

33 And they said to him: Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine eat and drink?

At illi dixerunt ad eum : Quare discipuli Joannis jejunant frequenter, et obsecrationes faciunt, similiter et pharisæorum : tui autem edunt et bibunt?

34 To whom he said: Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast, whilst the bridegroom is with them?

Quibus ipse ait : Numquid potestis filios sponsi, dum cum illis est sponsus, facere jejunare?

35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days.

Venient autem dies, cum ablatus fuerit ab illis sponsus : tunc jejunabunt in illis diebus.

36 And he spoke also a similitude to them: That no man putteth a piece from a new garment upon an old garment; otherwise he both rendeth the new, and the piece taken from the new agreeth not with the old.

Dicebat autem et similitudinem ad illos : Quia nemo commissuram a novo vestimento immittit in vestimentum vetus : alioquin et novum rumpit, et veteri non convenit commissura a novo.

37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the new wine will break the bottles, and it will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost.

Et nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres : alioquin rumpet vinum novum utres, et ipsum effundetur, et utres peribunt :

38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

sed vinum novum in utres novos mittendum est, et utraque conservantur.

39 And no man drinking old, hath presently a mind to new: for he saith, The old is better.

Et nemo bibens vetus, statim vult novum : dicit enim : Vetus melius est

Annotations

[These annotations are based on the Catena Aurea of St Thomas Aquinas, with acknowledgements to the New Advent site.]

    33. And they said to him: Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine eat and drink?   As soon as they have received the first answer from Christ, they proceed from one thing to another, with the intent to shew that the holy disciples, and Jesus Himself with them, cared very little for the law. Hence it follows, Why do the disciples of John fast ... but thine eat, &c. (Lev. 15, prævaricationis.) As if they said, Ye eat with publicans and sinners, whereas the law forbids to have any fellowship with the unclean. ... Christ needed not fasting for the perfecting of virtue, since as God He was free from every yoke of passion. Nor again did His companions need fasting, but being made partakers of His grace without fasting they were strengthened in all holy and godly living. For when Christ fasted for forty days, it was not to mortify His passions, but to manifest to carnal men the rule of abstinence. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA.

   34. To whom he said: Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast, whilst the bridegroom is with them? Now there are two fasts, one is in tribulation, to propitiate God for our sins; another in joy, when as carnal things delight us less, we feed the more on things spiritual. The Lord therefore being asked why His disciples did not fast, answered as to each fast. And first of the fast of tribulation; for it follows, And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridegroom fast whilst the bridegroom is with them? AUGUSTINE. (de Qu. Ev. l. ii. q. 18.)

    As if He should say, The present time is one of joy and gladness, sorrow must not then be mixed up with it. CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 30. in Matt.) 

    For the shewing forth of our Saviour in this world was nothing else but a great festival, (πανήγυρις) spiritually uniting our nature to Him as His bride, that she who was formerly barren might become fruitful. The children of the Bridegroom then are found to be those who have been called by Him through a new and evangelical discipline, but not the Scribes and Pharisees, who observe only the shadow of the law. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. 

    Now this which Luke alone mentions, Can ye make the children of the bridegroom fast, is understood to refer to those very men who said that they would make the children of the Bridegroom mourn and fast, since they were about to kill the Bridegroom. AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Ev. ii. c. 27.) 

    35. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days.

    Having granted to the children of the Bridegroom that it was not fitting that they should be troubled, as they were keeping a spiritual feast, but that fasting should be abolished among them, He adds as a direction, But the days shall come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast in those days. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA.

    As if He said, Then shall they be desolate, and in sorrow and lamentation, until the joy of consolation shall be restored to them by the Holy Spirit. AUGUSTINE. (de Qu. Ev. ii. qu. 18.) 

    But when are those days, in which Christ shall be taken away from us, since He has said, I will be with you alway, even unto the end of the world? But no one can take Christ away from you, unless you take yourself away from Him. AMBROSE.

    For as long as the Bridegroom is with us we both rejoice, and can neither fast nor mourn. But when He has gone away through our sins, then a fast must be declared and mourning be enjoined. BEDE. 

36.  And he spoke also a similitude to them: That no man putteth a piece from a new garment upon an old garment; otherwise he both rendeth the new, and the piece taken from the new agreeth not with the old. 

    Lastly, it is spoken of the fast of the soul... He calleth fasting an old garment, which the Apostle thought should be taken off, saying, stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds, (Col. iii. 9.) In the same manner we have a series of precepts not to mix up the actions of the old and new man. AMBROSE. 

    The weakness of man’s condition is exposed when our bodies arc compared to the skins of dead animals. AMBROSE.

    37. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the new wine will break the bottles, and it will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost.

    Inasmuch as wine refreshes us within, but garments cover us without, the garments are the good works which we do abroad, by which we shine before men; wine, the fervour of faith, hope, and charity. Or, The old skins are the Scribes and Pharisees, the new piece and the new wine the precepts of the Gospel. BEDE. 

    For wine newly drawn forth, evaporates on account of the natural heat in the liquor, throwing off from itself the scum by natural action. Such wine is the new covenant, which the old skins because of their unbelief contain not, and are therefore burst by the excellence of the doctrine, and cause the grace of the Spirit to flow in vain; for wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins. (Sap. i. 4.) GREGORY OF NYSSA. (Orat. de Deit. Filii et SS.)

    39. And no man drinking old, hath presently a mind to new: for he saith, The old is better.

    But to every soul which is not yet renewed, but goes on still in the old way of wickedness, the sacraments of new mysteries ought not to be given. They also who wish to mix the precepts of the Law with the Gospel, as the Galatians did, put new wine into old bottles.  For the Jews, imbued with the taste of their old life, despised the precepts of the new grace, and being defiled with the traditions of their ancestors, were not able to perceive the sweetness of spiritual words. BEDE.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text

33. But they ſaid to him: Why doe the Diſciples of Iohn faſt often, and make obſecrations, and of the Phariſees in like manner; but thine doe eate and drinke?

34. To whom he ſaid: Why, can you make the children of the bridegrome faſt whiles the bridegrome is with them?

35. But the daies wil come; and when the bridegrome ſhal be taken away from them, then they ſhal faſt in those daies.

36. And he ſaid a ſimilitude alſo vnto them: That no man putteth a peece from a new garment into an old garment; otherwiſe both he breaketh the new, and the peece from the new agreeth not with the old.

37. And no bodie putteth new wine into old bottels; otherwiſe the new wine wil breake the bottels, and it ſelf wi be ſhed, and the bottels wil be lost.

38. But new wine is to be put into new bottels: and both are preſerued togeather.

39. And no man drinking old, wil new by and by, for he ſaith, The old is better.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.