TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, AUGUST 18, 2024
- Maria Knox
- Aug 17, 2024
- 2 min read
Reading 2 Eph 5:15-20
Brothers and sisters: Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise,
making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.
And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
REFLECTION
"And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit"
Wine is present in many passages of the Bible, starting with the stories of Genesis. People are shown drinking both wine and water throughout the different books and passages.
Just like anything else, we abuse anything that is at our disposal. A glass of wine or other spirit can help us unwind after a hard day and relax. Abusing alcohol can lead to domestic violence, date rape, murder, etc.
On the other hand, we have stories of people like the inklings of Oxford, a group of literary geniuses, that met at a tavern near their college to discuss on Tuesday's their work over beer and cigars. Some of these authors include C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Some of my Baptist friends from the South of the United States never drink alcohol. Some of my Spanish friends drink wine every day. Some of my close family members are hard core alcoholics that start drinking on Friday at noon, and stop on Sunday night.
Why do we drink then? What is this debauchery St. Paul is warning us about?
Debauchery, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is:
"Extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures and especially sexual pleasures : behavior involving sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. that is often considered immoral."(*)
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