The old is good

The text from the Gospel of Luke in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today concludes with the phrase "The old is good". The context of this message, with which those "of a certain age" are likely to agree, is a dialogue with the Pharisees in which the lack of observance of the fasting and praying rituals among Jesus disciples is noted. Jesus makes reference in this text to the time when he will no longer be with His disciples. The Presence of Jesus is celebrated by Paul in his address to the Colossians. He has come to Jesus as the person in whom "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell ". This understanding came to Paul in a process of the "new wine" of the conversion encounter on the road to Damascus becoming an intimate constant relationship with the Divine through Jesus and the resonance of the indwelling Spirit with the Spirit of God as the wine matures. The new patch of overwhelming awe in the deep intimate relationship with Presence becomes the old patch of being the apostle to the Gentiles and showing in human existence the possibility of communion with God praised by the psalmist as steadfast love that endures forever and faithfulness to all generations.