On Fasting

33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and make prayers—likewise also the disciples[fn] of the Pharisees—but yours are eating and drinking!” 34 So he[fn] said[fn] to them, “You are not able to make the bridegroom’s attendants[fn] fast as long as the bridegroom is with them, are you?[fn] 35 But days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and[fn] puts it[fn] on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch that is from the new. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled and the wineskins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins. 39 And no one after[fn] drinking old wine[fn] wants new, because he says, ‘The old is just fine!’ ”