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Vocation Meditation -
3rd Sunday of Lent, 2011
Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son, Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you a Jew, ask a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you know the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his children and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but the one who drinks of the water that I will give will never be thirsty. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I many never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!"
The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a Prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am He, the One who is speaking to you."
Many Samaritans from that city believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world."
The Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus by Jacob's well has much to tell us of our Christian experience:
- Jesus' dialogue compelled her to face herself as she is. Her honesty led her to discover more of what Jesus has to offer: living water of grace!
- She goes out to bring the good news. She felt the instinct of sharing her discovery, to share this with others. From the discovery of God within us, we are led by grace to communicate the awe and wonder of His grace to others. She felt God's mercy within and His gentle nudge to let go of the past. Then comes the onrush of greater power to proclaim not her story but the story of One who understands the human heart.
- The living water of grace overpowered her feeling of shame. Christ's presence was even a greater wonder before her. She was empowered to proclaim the One she was thirsting all her life: Truth and Mercy! She became a bearer of grace!
Vocation Challenge:
"Sir, give me this water, so that I many never be thirsty again."
Dear God,
In Jesus, You come with us on our paths and You surprise us with the abundance of Your grace and mercy. When I am enveloped by my weaknesses, You break open my shame and fragilities. Your call to live in Your grace is my mission to share with all. Make me a true bearer of Your living water to others when their 'well' runs dry. Amen.
For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.