New Wine

Throughout the year we have specific days which are days of celebration. Within the family (and perhaps beyond) we celebrate the day we were born. But in general terms we also have other times for celebration or reflection. We celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus and at Easter we remember his death and celebrate his resurrection. On 11th November we remember those who died in times of war. There are other days of significance when we celebrate or remember.

On the third Thursday in November each year there is a day which I always anticipated in recent years. It is the day when, under French law that year's Beaujolais Nouveau may be released. It is a wine which is enjoyed as a young, new wine. It is a red wine that is uncharacteristically consumed immediately. There is no need for wait for the wine to mature. In fact it must be drunk young. Each year the wine lovers gather to drink it and discuss its merits. Is it a better vintage? Is it a fresher, fruitier taste? In between sips in a wine bar there will be the chance to join in festivities. There will probably be live music and maybe Can Can dancers! It is said that by the time Christmas is ended this new wine is finished and does not have the taste it had at the beginning. So, we can go through the year and then reach the day when we can share the new wine together. It will be refreshing and lively, fruity and best drunk chilled. So this is a day to look forward to for those who enjoy wine in perhaps a less serious way than usual.

Wine is something which is important to the Christian. It is presented in the service of Holy Communion or Mass as the blood of Christ shed for us. It is our constant reminder of what Jesus did for us 2,000 years ago. Wine and blood seem inextricably linked in life. In one of the early chapters of Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities, there is a description of the accidental spillage of some wine as it is being offloaded at a wine shop in Paris. The cask breaks open and wine runs down the street. The poor people rush to try and retrieve some before it runs away completely. After this occurrence it is noticed that someone has dipped their fingers in the wine lees in the gutter and used it to write "Blood" on a wall. It was to be remembered later as the French Revolution burst upon the land.

It seems that blood is always spilled in order to achieve our highest aims. Sacrifice is often the pathway to what is worthwhile and of lasting benefit. Wars are settled, sadly, by the shedding of blood. Martyrs die and are remembered for what they sought to achieve in the name of righteousness. As blood is shed people come forward to try to help, to make a difference. It is quite a thought that the way to God was opened up by the shedding of the blood of Jesus. Each Good Friday we are sad as we remember what he went through for the sake of our salvation. Today is the first Sunday in Lent. It is the season when we slowly approach the time of death and resurrection. It is a time for thinking deeply about what was done for us and what is requires of us in answer. For some it is a time of self-denial as they ponder on the most important aspect of their faith.

We cannot be flippant about those happenings in Jerusalem. It was not some casual action that took place. After a ministry of only three years Jesus went through the double agony of anticipation and execution that millions might receive the gift of eternal life. We are some of those millions and we have to give thanks that we are free as a result of what Jesus did for us. Thinking back to what I wrote earlier, through the shedding of the blood of Christ we are now entitled to drink the new wine with him in heaven. Here is another link between blood and wine and a reminder of the institution of the Last Supper when Jesus said, "Never again shall I drink this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

Here is another promise which will be kept. Jesus invites us to an occasion when we shall drink the new wine with him. We live this life in eager anticipation of a wonderful life when we shall see Jesus face to face with the Father. If we experience hard times in our earthly life it is worth it to win that prize. Our lives in the meantime are to be times of service to humankind so that they too may inherit the same as us.