no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins. – Mark 2:22
We have indeed achieved our first goal in our capital campaign to Build Our Future, Serve Our Past, which will allow us to commence the construction of our new Life Center this year. However, we still have significant progress to make in order to repair and renew the rest of our campus, including our church, as well as institute all the programs we know will establish our Parish Family as not only the most active for all ages in the area, but bring new individuals and families to our faith. The first Catholic Youth Organization in Florida as well as a brand new Catholic Adult Organization are within our reach. We can only take these next steps into the future with your help. Pope Francis reminded us this week of our call as Catholics to listen to the Holy Spirit work in changing the church:
Christians who obstinately maintain ‘it’s always been done this way,’ this is the path, this is the street—they sin: the sin of divination. It’s as if they went about by guessing: ‘What has been said and what doesn’t change is what’s important; what I hear—from myself and my closed heart—more than the Word of the Lord.’ Obstinacy is also the sin of idolatry: the Christian who is obstinate sins! The sin of idolatry. ‘And what is the way, Father?’ Open the heart to the Holy Spirit, discern what is the will of God…
This is the message the Church gives us today. This is what Jesus says so forcefully: ‘New wine in new wineskins.’ Habits must be renewed in the newness of the Spirit, in the surprises of God. May the Lord grant us the grace of an open heart, of a heart open to the voice of the Spirit, which knows how to discern what should not change, because it is fundamental, from what should change in order to be able to receive the newness of the Spirit.
If you have yet to make a commitment or provided for our campaign, we ask that you prayerfully consider how you can help us make our “new wine” initiatives a reality for all our Parish Family and the local community here in Naples. While we have begun the work our current blessings have allowed us to accomplish for the Build Our Future, Serve Our Past capital campaign, we still need our entire Parish Family to give in order to reach our additional goals. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].
You can also learn more information about the Campaign at: www.sjecc.com/future