3rd Sunday of Lent Year A - 19/3/2017 - Gospel: Jn 4:5-15. 19b-26. 39a. 40-42
Well, well, well
Well and health go hand in hand. When we are well we enjoy life and even a cup of water and when a cup of water is tasteless we are not well. The story of the Samaritan woman who was drawing water at a village well for her daily consumption was surprised when Jesus asked for water to drink. The conversation between her and Jesus moved to several stages. It began with a surprise and cold response. What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a Samaritan for a drink? The conversation went on and got a bit warmer when she told Jesus 'You have no bucket sir and the well is deep'. The Samaritan showed some respect when she called Jesus 'Sir' and 'the prophet' and finally the woman confessed her faith in Jesus that 'you are the Christ' and she went on her mission to tell other villagers. Other came to believe in Jesus when they confessed that 'Now we no longer believe because of what you told us, we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the Saviour of the world' v.42.
Drawing everlasting water by listening to the teaching of Jesus and accepting him as our Saviour. The more the woman listened to Jesus the more she was drawn into his teaching and that reflected through her announcement to the village that 'he told me all I have ever done'. Both Jesus and the woman talk about water but each understood differently. The woman talked about the natural water drawn from the well, the water which came from outside to quench our thirst. Jesus talked about the water that came from inside, from the depth of a person's heart. It is the everlasting source of goodness and love God had implanted deep in the heart of a person. When goodness and love flow from our heart it becomes the source of joy and comfort for others. It is the source of water Jesus was talking about and it was possible when we welcome God's word into our lives and the Spirit of God will activate that wellspring from our heart to flow.
The story had overcome several barriers which were seen as taboo by the society of the time. First, men don't talk to women in public and would not ask for help from a stranger woman. Further the Jews would not talk to pagans whom they regarded as idolatry worshippers. The Samaritan woman was well known for her deviant behaviour in her village and any man who talked to her would be looked down by other villagers. The woman demonstrated that she had some knowledge of faith handed down her by the ancestors- our father Jacob who gave us this well... our fathers worshipped on this mountain- It looked like the Samaritan was thirsting for some kind spiritual nourishment and has not yet found it until she met Jesus. She went astray from the true faith because personal sin would cover our spiritual eyes to see the truth. Jesus won her back to the true faith of her ancestors and she accepted his teaching.
Drawing everlasting water by listening to the teaching of Jesus and accepting him as our Saviour. The more the woman listened to Jesus the more she was drawn into his teaching and that reflected through her announcement to the village that 'he told me all I have ever done'. Both Jesus and the woman talk about water but each understood differently. The woman talked about the natural water drawn from the well, the water which came from outside to quench our thirst. Jesus talked about the water that came from inside, from the depth of a person's heart. It is the everlasting source of goodness and love God had implanted deep in the heart of a person. When goodness and love flow from our heart it becomes the source of joy and comfort for others. It is the source of water Jesus was talking about and it was possible when we welcome God's word into our lives and the Spirit of God will activate that wellspring from our heart to flow.
The story had overcome several barriers which were seen as taboo by the society of the time. First, men don't talk to women in public and would not ask for help from a stranger woman. Further the Jews would not talk to pagans whom they regarded as idolatry worshippers. The Samaritan woman was well known for her deviant behaviour in her village and any man who talked to her would be looked down by other villagers. The woman demonstrated that she had some knowledge of faith handed down her by the ancestors- our father Jacob who gave us this well... our fathers worshipped on this mountain- It looked like the Samaritan was thirsting for some kind spiritual nourishment and has not yet found it until she met Jesus. She went astray from the true faith because personal sin would cover our spiritual eyes to see the truth. Jesus won her back to the true faith of her ancestors and she accepted his teaching.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia