Is this a commentary, of sorts, on the value of new things? Or is it rather a lesson on the importance of having some "order of precedence" in our lives: that is, doing what is most important and fundamental before charging ahead with things that are not?
One would think that something that is new would be better—new skins, new cloth, new wine, but then in the end the Gospel says, "The old wine is better."
The point is not about something new vs. something old, but about appropriateness of things old and new. In other words the substance of our choices must suit the requirements of the moment and yet be able to stand the test and stress of time.
It is likewise with forms of worship and praise. Be they old or new, they must be fitting praise to the Omnipotent God. They may for a time seem appropriate, but as needs and circumstances change, so too do our prayer forms. It doesn't mean necessarily that one is better than the other, but that one currently seems more suitable. You don't want to say the Grace Before Meals as you're going into surgery, or the prayers of the sick before dinner [unless the chef is a terrible cook!]. Likewise, you may not have the time to say a complete rosary, or even one of the longer prayers, like the Apostle's Creed. You may only have time to say one decade of the rosary. There might even be times, as Mom taught me years ago, that we are sometimes in situations where a formal prayer can't come to mind. In this case, a simple and sincere "God, I believe!" or "Jesus, help me!" are the most potent prayers one can say.
Anyone who knows me well knows I love praying the rosary. You can never go wrong by asking Our Blessed Mother to pray FOR you. You have to believe that she knows just the right words to say!
Prayer must be the preeminent activity in our life, lest we damage the cloak given for our salvation or have an old tired-out heart unprepared to receive the ever-new love of God.
Perhaps in the end we might say, "The old is better,"—like the first prayers we learned to say with all the love, praise and sincerity of innocent hearts: (The Sign of the Cross) "In the Name of the Father . . . . ", "Glory Be to the Father . . . . ", "Our Father who art in heaven . . . .", "Hail Mary full of grace . . . . ", "O my God I am heartily sorry . . . . "
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