New Wine for a New Season

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Reading 1 Ephesians 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 117:1bc, 2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Alleluia John 20:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 20:24-29

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But Thomas said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

July 4, 2026 // Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time // Independence Day [In the Dioceses of the United States]

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 9:14–17

Reflect on the Word //

This birthday was different. Familiar joy didn’t bubble up; instead I felt uncertainty, bittersweetness, even a pang of regret. Were my forties all they could have been? Why didn’t I feel I had anything to show for the last ten years?

As I turn fifty, instead of a house full of six children, my nest is quickly emptying. How I spend my time and what I focus on are all new. Facing a new decade brings a whole new experience of life. Roles that once fit comfortably no longer do. And I can’t help but wonder: Who am I? Who am I becoming?

It can be tempting to ignore the tension, to keep stretching myself to fit what has always been. But Jesus reminds me in today’s Gospel that new wine cannot be poured into old wineskins. If it is, both are lost: “the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined” (Matthew 9:17). Instead, new wine requires “fresh wineskins”—space that can expand, stretch, and hold what is being created.

The image of the wineskins reminds us that new seasons are not meant to be forced into old patterns, identities, or expectations. The tension does not indicate failure, nor is it something to resist. Rather, we are invited to take the next step into a new season of life.

While many women feel this most acutely in midlife, this truth is not limited to that season. A young woman finding her voice, a new bride adjusting to her vocation, or someone beginning again after loss—all experience moments when the old wineskins no longer fit the new wine. Today’s Gospel reminds us that in every season, God is always doing something new, inviting us forward, not backward.

My sister, Jesus does not ask us to preserve what has already been stretched beyond its limits. Instead, He invites us to trust the new life unfolding within us. Let us not cling to who we have been, but become who we are being made to be—trusting that God will provide the space, grace, and courage we need to receive all that is new.

Relate to the Lord // What new thing is God doing in this season? Ask for the grace to receive all that He has for you.

Be a Woman of the Word

About Sarah Damm

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Sarah Damm is the blog manager and a writer for Blessed Is She. She also is a frequent contributor to other faith-based platforms. Residing in Minnesota with her husband and six children, Sarah was a stay-at-home mom for 21 years, until she returned to the workforce in 2023. Sarah enjoys attending her kids' volleyball, football, basketball, or baseball games (depending on the season). She loves her faith, coffee, walks with her husband, and good books. Read Sarah's posts here. You can find out more about her here.