Strike the rock,
and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
for the people to drink.”
The lesson of the desert, of course, was
God's providence. He provided manna for bread, quail for meat and water from a
rock. Eventually they noticed their clothes didn't fall into tatters nor didtheir feet swell.
Saint Paul, following an ancient Jewish
legend, imagined the miraculous rock rolling from place to place, as the
Hebrews wandered in the desert: they drank
from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
(Romans 10:4) This wonderful rock apparently rolled behind the nomads like a
faithful dog.
In any case, as Paul says, the rock is Christ, the superabundant fountain of eternal life. If the rock traveled with the wanderers it is one more sign of God's travelling with his people. YHWH leads his people through the desert (a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night) and so long as we remain with him we are blessed. When we wander into trouble, sin and despair, he follows like a good shepherd to bring us back. God says to us as Ruth said to her mother-in-law Naomi, “Wherever you go, I will go.”
In any case, as Paul says, the rock is Christ, the superabundant fountain of eternal life. If the rock traveled with the wanderers it is one more sign of God's travelling with his people. YHWH leads his people through the desert (a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night) and so long as we remain with him we are blessed. When we wander into trouble, sin and despair, he follows like a good shepherd to bring us back. God says to us as Ruth said to her mother-in-law Naomi, “Wherever you go, I will go.”
Jews and Christians use ubiquitous water to signify the presence of God. It is the rain which comes down upon the
desert; like the Word of God, it is met by a spontaneous, joyous outburst of
new life. Jewish Essenes ritually washed in a desert pool to cleanse themselves
of sin; John the Baptist invited thousands of people to repent of their sins in
the Jordan River. Jesus would give the last drops of his blood and water for
our salvation when a soldier pierced his chest with a lance.
The Blessing
of Baptismal Water during the Easter Vigil recalls the chaotic waters of
creation, the destructive water of Noah’s flood, the saving water of the Red
Sea, the merciful water of Saint John’s Jordan River and the birth water that
flows from Jesus’ side.
May this water
receive by the Holy Spirit
the grace of your Only Begotten Son,
so that human nature, created in your image,
and washed clean through the Sacrament of Baptism
from all the squalor of the life of old,
may be found worthy to rise to the life of newborn children
through water and the Holy Spirit.
the grace of your Only Begotten Son,
so that human nature, created in your image,
and washed clean through the Sacrament of Baptism
from all the squalor of the life of old,
may be found worthy to rise to the life of newborn children
through water and the Holy Spirit.
Water’s presence in today’s gospel – Jesus’s
encounter with the Samaritan woman – is no accident. Both come to Jacob’s well –
actually a cistern which could hold only stale, storage water – looking for
refreshment; they leave thoroughly satisfied with the spring-like Living Water
that bubbled up during their conversation. The woman is so satisfied she leaves
her bucket by the well. Jesus is so refreshed he will not eat his disciples' provisions.
Their conversation signifies the spiritual dimension
of Baptism as she undergoes conversion. First she approaches Jesus as a
flirtatious woman with a sordid past. Realizing
he is a prophet she reveals her deep longing for the Messiah. When he says "I am he," she goes back into the village to share her experience.
Finally, the village confirms her
message, saying:
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
The villagers,
we can suppose, are as surprised by the woman’s conversion as they are by the
presence of Jesus.
In the story of the Samaritan Woman we discover
the freshness of the Gospel. God wants life for us, full, spring-water life. His
is not the old water of stone water jars or Jacob’s cistern. His “eternal life”
lasts a moment and does not end. It is a grateful spirit that delights in being
and belonging, in knowing and conceiving God. It is content with the past, satisfied
with the present and eager for the future.
His Spirit/water excites the woman and her people like dance music spreading from the musicians' instruments to the ears, thence to the brain, synapses and nerves throughout the whole body. As we approach Easter we too beg the Lord, "Give us this living water!"
His Spirit/water excites the woman and her people like dance music spreading from the musicians' instruments to the ears, thence to the brain, synapses and nerves throughout the whole body. As we approach Easter we too beg the Lord, "Give us this living water!"
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.