Today’s Gospel, John 4:5-42, is about many things, one of which is seeing Christ for Who He is. As He comes to a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, it is about seeing Christ in our daily life. It is even about discovering Christ more deeply in our sacramental life.
He spoke of Living Water, she thought only of a well. He spoke of “who is speaking to you”, and she thought only of Jacob. He spoke of true worship, the Father, of spirit and truth, and she could only speak of her own tradition. He told her about herself, and her eyes began to open.
How often do we miss the deep reality of the approach of God in our life? “The Father seeks such people to worship him.” Again, God always takes the initiative to move toward us, as Jesus took the initiative to reveal Himself to the Samaritan woman. Part of what Lent offers is a fresh opportunity to see how God is invading our personal space, our very person, and to open ourself to this loving approach.
Part of what the Gospel affords today is for us to rediscover “the gift that is being offered” in the gift of Baptismal water. St. Paul tells us today what this gift is: “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-2, 5-8) Lent wants to shake us out of any practice we have of drinking from the shallow wells of this life, to draw us again to the Well that springs up to eternal life, to move us beyond the still waters of this life to the living streams of Life. These images of course speak of Jesus Christ.
May our Lenten journey continue to move us on in our life of conversion, to a deeper awareness of the presence of Christ. As we awaken to deeper and deeper awareness, may we as the Samaritan woman go tell others of the “gift that is ours” in Jesus Christ.
Come to Christ, you who are weary, drink from His open side of His infinite love, and discover the longing of the heart within you.
Peace,
+pde
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