19th Day of Lent: March 23, 2014 3rd Sunday of Lent: Jesus the Rock of Salvation

19th Day of Lent:

   March 23, 2014
          3rd Sunday of Lent:

              Jesus the Rock

                                     of Salvation 

Jesus encounters the woman at the well. One of the magnificent passages in the Scripture and in fact the longest conversation ever recorded between a human person and God. This unnamed woman, a Samaritan, a woman of ill repute, three strikes are against her, represents each one of us.

We are all thirsting for something in our life all the time. The Israelites thirst for water in the desert and drinks from the rock.

The Samaritan woman drinks from the Rock who is Christ himself. The details of the reading are very important. Jesus meets the woman at noontime, when the sun is up. Jesus intends to illumine, bring to light something about her, about God each time we encounter him. First things first... What is the well you are drinking from or drawing from? Is it one of Ps. Power, prestige, people, popularity or pleasure? Or is it from the Ses: self – absorption, self- care, self-centeredness, self-righteousness, self-indulgence, self-serve or in modern terms “selfies”? (Even Pope Francis had one recently).

The question is do these satisfy you? Obviously the Samaritan was not content even after spending time with five men. 

What Jesus offered to the woman is very poignant. Jesus sits down at the well meaning he is ready to spend time with her. He engages in a deep conversation, “give me a drink”.

God is thirsting for our attention!  God the giver; her a listening ear and thus a gift of attentiveness. Jesus does not condemn her nor shame her instead offers waters of divine life. Beyond all her wants and needs Jesus led her to deeper things in life, meaning, dignity, self-worth, self confidence away from her despair, away from ‘wastefulness’, away from being discarded by five men, a new life with God. Jesus offered a gift of hope, forgiveness and immense joy to this woman who was considered hopeless, cursed, and forgotten. Her eyes are illumined, her heart opened to the Son of God. She affirms Jesus first as a stranger, a man, then goes deeper to assert that he is a prophet, Messiah, and Lord.

Is not Jesus quenching her thirst, for deeper knowledge, deeper things?

 If you know him more, you get to love him dearly and follow him closely. 
The encounter of the woman with Jesus changed her dramatically and filled her with immense joy so much so that she left the bucket at the well and runs to the town to tell it all. It is indeed Evangelii Gaudium, Gospel of Joy.

God’s discovery of a woman, man, sinner, vulnerable, wounded,

broken, in the ‘field hospital’ of humanity and filling her/his bucket with joy, freedom, dignity, and divine life, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life”.

A God of compassion, God of mercy, God of forgiveness, God of hope, God of joy is clearly in action here at the well of our lives. Know where you are drawing your water from, know that Jesus wants to meet you at that well, know that Jesus

 wants to offer a water of eternal life so that you will never thirst again.

 God Bless you always!
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS

Wishing you and yours A Holy Lent!

                                                                                                 Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.

                                                                                                 Shrine Director

 

I Thirst.....

Jesus thirst for you!

This Lent grow closer to Jesus.

Pope Francis