Sunday, 23 March 2014

DOCTRINE AND FAITH; (3rd Sunday of Lent: Year A)

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Exodus 17,3-7; Romans 5,1-2.5-8; John 4, 5-42; 3rd Sunday of Lent: Year A)

            The first impression from gospel narrative of Jesus ’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is His humanity. The narrative depicts a Jesus who is tired after trekking under a scorching sun, a thirsty Jesus who like an ordinary pilgrim requests for a cup of water to refresh himself. On the other hand, one also sees another side of this Jesus who disregards contemporary usages, a man who goes decisively against the current of opinions and removes all sorts of barriers and prejudices. This Jesus, a rabbi discussed with a woman. The conversation of a rabbi (a doctor of Law) with a woman was unbecoming and improper. That is even why the narrator, the Evangelist John remarked: ... his disciples returned and were surprised to find him speaking to a woman... .Jesus did not allow himself to be affected by the prevailing opinion of his time. What is even worse, the woman in question was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew. It is to be remembered that there existed an enormous enmity between the Jews and Samaritans at that time. The Jews regarded them as schismatic who had different religious rites, from those of Jerusalem, where the orthodox Jews performed their religious rites. Jesus was unaffected by the differences in cult and the prevailing hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans to the point that the woman exclaimed when Jesus asked  her for water to drink: how is it that you a Jew should ask for a drink from me who is a Samaritan woman. It is also to be  noted  that Jesus was conversing with a woman whose moral life was not commendable and  already had  five husbands and the man she was then cohabiting was not married to her. The moral disorder of the woman did not scare Jesus away. Perhaps it was for that reason that Jesus discussed with her in order to prepare her to welcome his message. 


            Indeed, he chose to speak with such a woman in order to reveal extraordinary aspects of his personality. First, Jesus manifested himself before her as a prophet, then unmasked her past (a woman of five husbands) and the way she was living then (in concubinage with a man) she declared: I see that you are a prophet. In those days, one of the attributes of a prophet was that he had the capacity of knowing hidden facts and can penetrate into the depth of a person’s mind. Before her, Jesus  also revealed himself  as the Messiah. When she mentioned that she knew that the Messiah was to come, Jesus declared: I who am speaking to you, I am he. Jesus also revealed top her that he was the one who was to come into the world in order to bring the living water to the people; the only water that can quell the thirst for truth and search for love of the human soul, the water of the Holy Spirit and of the truth, word and grace of the same Spirit of God. Jesus said to her: Whoever drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him welling up to eternal life. Finally, Jesus announced to the Samaritan woman that the time had come to abolish all types of religious rites and worships except the worship God in spirit and in truth. This is because from the time of Christ true and worthy worship of God would be based on the newness of life, which the Holy Spirit would impart; true worshippers would then be those who would be reborn of the Holy Spirit and would had become sons and daughters of God by the action of the Holy Spirit.


            Jesus made all the revelations to the Samaritan woman and through her to the whole world on that special afternoon at the well of Jacob. Jesus did a wonderful work on this woman. He changed her from the depth of her being, from being a sinner to a convert, from being a convert to an apostle and a missionary. That is why St. Augustine holds the woman to be a symbol of the Church, who receives revelation from Christ and announces it further to the whole world. Indeed the gospel says of the woman:         The woman put down her water jar and hurried back to the town to tell the people: come and see the man who has told me everything I ever did. Also to us, through the liturgy, Jesus repeats his discussion he had with the Samaritan woman. I am the Messiah who is speaking to you. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world and we do not need to look for our salvation from anyone else. Jesus also repeats to us what he told the Samaritan woman: I am the only one who can give the water that quells thirst that can assuage the deep longings of your heart. Do not seek to quell the search for truth, goodness, happiness elsewhere lest you meet with delusion. Things and creatures are useful, if they bring you to me, for I am the spring of life. The church, using Psalm 94 recommends: If you listen to his words today, do not harden your hearts. We are in Lent, and in the heart of it. It is, therefore, time to immerse ourselves in the word of God and use it to open our hearts completely to Christ. Just as the Hebrew people in the desert had their difficulties, we also have  our own difficulties of life. But we should be rest assured for the Lord is with us. In the 2nd reading, Paul brings to our mind that Christ died for us when we were sinners. Christ is the rock of the living water which satisfies the thirst of our souls. We no longer need to doubt his love and his willingness to save us, his nearness and  presence in our midst. Let us, therefore pray earnestly in this Sunday’s Eucharistic celebration, as Christ who rose from the dead is with us, to ask for the graces to always be attentive to Christ’s self-revelation, welcome it and let it transform us into veritable apostles and instruments of his love and salvation for the whole world.  +John I. Okoye

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