Reflection for Sunday, February 24, 2008
by Msgr. Andrew Vaccari
Traveling on a pilgrimage through the Holy Land a number of years ago, the hot summer days always made the members of our group thirsty. Taking a drink of that cold bottled water was a tremendous relief, soothing and refreshing. And there was no substitute for it. But no matter how many times we drank it, the thirst always came back after a while. The experience reminded me of the promise of Jesus in the Gospel today, when he says to the woman of Samaria: "whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life."
The Jews and the Samaritans were notorious for hating each other. The Jews felt that the Samaritans had made many religious concessions, and that their practice of the faith was impure. The Samaritans, for their part, taunted the Jews. In addition to the differences between Jews and Samaritans, it was considered inappropriate for a Rabbi to talk with a woman in public.
So when Jesus encounters and converses with the woman at the well, his disciples are astounded. Jesus is ready to break down the barriers between the groups. He is at the well at the exact time the woman comes for water and begins a conversation. He tells her he is thirsty but it is not primarily physical water he wants. He wants to win her for the Kingdom!
He wants you and me as well. His profound thirst, here and on the cross, is for our human love. He yearns to be that water welling up inside of us, quenching our spiritual thirst. We must recognize and admit the times we have tried to drink from other sources.
In this season Lent, we do well to repent of the times we have turned to other ways to satisfy our yearnings, our hopes and our aspirations. Our sins have left us thirsty. and we have to keep returning again and again, because we are never satisfied. And they have left the Lord thirsty again. After five husbands, and who knows how many other relationships, the woman at the well finally finds peace when she comes to Jesus. Yes, she will have to come to draw water again from that physical well, but her soul has been satisfied with the water of eternal life!
1 comment:
Father, I truly appreciate your reflection. I find that as I make my journey on the road to holiness and to the Father I "thirst" more and more for the Eucharist. As Bishop Giaquinta says"...help us understand the greatness of such an example." How can we fully comprehend such a sacrifice? I just heard a woman talking about how she can't stop herself from crying at the consecration and sacrifice of Mass. The priest she talked to called it "gift of tears". What a gift! As I reflect on this I can't help but connect thirst and tears. Our God is an awesome God indeed! I thank our Lord for giving us this gift of His life, our salvation, and this Church in which to receive it.
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