A WATER THAT RESTORES AND SUSTAINS

We are in the Third Sunday of the holy season of Lent. The readings of today are about water. The significance of water is that it quenches the thirst. In the bible water is used to destroy (flood at Noah’s time) as well as to give life (Exodus event). Water serves as means for purification as well as the source of life. Water is used to clean bodies as well as to sustain one’s life. In our Christian life, one that purifies and sustains us is; GRACE. We need the washing of our sins through baptism and the sacrament of reconciliation. Through these two sacraments we receive the grace (Holy Spirit) to live a holy life. Baptism gives life and the confession restores life. They are waters for Christian living. In today’s reading we hear about water which restores the fallen community (Samaritans) as well as the water which sustains the chosen community (Israel).   

In the Gospel Jesus encounters the Samaritan women at the well of Jacob. Well is the place where woman gather in large numbers to gather water. Normally, men come to the well to water their cattle, if they are young they also come to find their bride amidst those women. In the Old Testament all the encounters between man and women have ended up in marriage, such as Jacob and Rachel (Gen 29), Moses and Zipporah (Ex 2:16-22), also Abraham’s head servant found Rebekah for Isaac at the well (Gen 24:12-21; 42-51). Today Jesus comes to the well as a bridegroom to meet his bride. The bride is not just one Samaritan woman whom Jesus meets first in the event, rather the entire Samaritan race. The Samaritans are former Jews who have gone astray through mixed marriages under Persian invasion. They have gone away from the right path. They are in need of restoration. Jesus comes to establish peace between God and them by marrying the Samaritans. Jesus stays with them for two days (Jn 4:40). Through Jesus God has dwelt among them. God’s presence and grace has purified them from all their sins and enrolled them into the Kingdom of God. Jesus was thirsty at the well. His thirst was not for the water but for the souls of Samaritans. The lost sheep’s of Israel are restored in today’s event. In this process Jesus never condemns Samaritans for their sins. He doesn’t even humiliate the women who has had five husbands (Jn 4:18). He gently reaches out to the lost and restores them beautifully. Jesus loves the sinners the way they are but his love is too much that once they experience His love they cannot remain the same – conversions and transformations would certainly follow.

In the first reading we see the people of Israel rebelling against Moses and God for not providing water to quench their thirst. The people of Israel travelled 40 long years to reach the Promised Land. Now they are in the midst of their wilderness journey. Thus, naturally they get exhausted as they feel the heat of the wilderness. They wonder whether the God who worked wonders in rescuing them form Egyptians is still remaining with them. Because the hard life in the wilderness is no better than little joys which they enjoyed back in Egypt in the midst of their slavery. They get tempted to go back to Egypt. The wilderness journey is leading them to the Promised Land. But the weight and heat of wilderness discourages them from marching ahead. This is the case with every conversion story. The conversion is not mere shift from sinfulness to holiness. Between sinfulness and holiness there is a process, rather a journey – a wilderness journey. It is in this process or in a period between sinful life and holy life one gets trained how to live a life of holiness. In the midst of this journey one gets tempted to go back either because s/he is finding hard in getting transformed or s/he becomes fearful about one’s fidelity in fulfilling the demands of the holy life. At this point of stumbling, the past looks more beautiful and attractive than the future which one haven’t seen but holds only in promise. We are also in the midst of our Lenten journey. There is more chance to get tempted to give up some of our Lenten resolutions. If we feel the need to do so, that is a clear sign that we are in the process of transformation/conversion. Thus, we need to fight this temptation. How to fight this temptation? We have to do it just as Israelites did. We need to fight with God to give us sufficient water (grace) to bear the heat of this wilderness journey (spiritual transformation). In this journey we are not alone, we have our God with us – Emmanuel. If we forget Him and try to do it alone, we will fall. He is the source of our life and grace. Apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). Therefore, let us intensify our dialogue and relationship with Him by frequenting the sacraments, doubling up our practices of piety and constantly reading the word of God. May the living water flow in us continually welling up to eternal life (Jn 4:14). Our restoration through the waters of baptism be sustained through the waters of confession and penances. Let us thirst for the grace of God to help and accompany us.

Wish you all a blissful Sunday!

 

 

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