Wisdom at the well

Still catching up with the week's events folks. Following is the text of the reflection that was shared this past weekend at the parish where I am assigned. I can't take credit for it though; this belongs to the seminarian intern who is currently spending some time with us:

Today’s readings give us much to reflect upon, but I have chosen to focus on two points: our hardness of heart and God’s infinite mercy. It is truly fitting that these be our themes in the middle of Lent, and they are as terrifying for me as they may seem to all of you.

In our first reading, we recall the obstinacy of the Israelites, who, although they were already rescued from slavery in Egypt quickly forgot that God had kept His promise, and began to murmur against Him. All priests and religious have to meditate on this event every day of the year. Psalm 95, also the Psalm of today’s Mass is the one that Holy Mother Church proposes to us as the introduction to the prayers of the breviary to warn us against becoming stubborn as the Israelites. I have often wondered why, of all the texts of holy scripture this should be the one that we are asked to recite each and every day, and, what’s more the one with which we are expected to begin our day. Today’s reading helps me to formulate an answer. As someone who is called to serve, even though not yet fully there, I am already graced to experience your joys and your sorrows, your struggles and your victories. Priests and religious, and those in training occupy a privileged place, as did Moses. We are called to be God amongst you, and to intercede on your behalf. The trust that you place in us is tremendous, but also astonishing. Having access to the most intimate parts of your lives is a blessing and also a curse. We all know how much pain and misery there is in our world, and, unlike the Israelites who at least had the excuse that they were not yet in the promised land, we have our Saviour, and we know His name. Even still, in the face of your pain and your sorrow, there is always the temptation to grow cold and weary. To either doubt the presence of God, or, what’s worse, to forget that we are but His servants, and instead of being His instruments, to become like Satan and usurp His role and to impose our own thoughts and desires on you. I pray, and I also ask your prayers that I may never grow weary of serving you, and of making God present in your lives, and of showing you the face of Christ our Saviour.

Saint Paul has some very consoling words for us today. He reminds us, in no uncertain terms of the depths of God’s love for us. While we were sinners, cut off from the grace of God and unable to regain it, He became one of us, and He died for us. God became Man while we were all still condemned. He did not look on the offence we gave Him; rather, in His infinite love and mercy, He cared more about our suffering than He did about his Divinity. The Creator became a creature and took upon himself the fate of His creation so that we could once more live in His presence and obtain the happiness we had but gave away. Bear that in mind: God paid the price of our sins before we had been restored to being His sons and daughters. Surely then, now that we are privileged with baptism, he will not refuse his forgiveness no matter what we have done. Mother Angelica very wisely says ‘there is nothing that offends God more than believing that your sins cannot be forgiven.’ That is, nothing that you can do is unforgiveable, except of course your denial that it can be forgiven, or your refusal to ask forgiveness. God has already redeemed us, and His mercy has already been shown to us, we have only to ask for it.

Today’s Gospel is one of my favourite passages in all of the Bible both as an expression of God’s infinite love, and as instruction to me on how to be a Priest. Look at Jesus, at what St. John tells us about Him. He was tired, and He was hungry and He thirsted. Even still, He did not lose an opportunity to love and to forgive. Jesus knew well that Samaritans were not liked by Jews, but He did not care, His only concern was the good of the Samaritan woman. He uses a simple request to open her heart to the truth. He asks her for a drink, knowing that she would give it to Him. Such a simple scene: Jesus asks for a drink, and she, amazed first enquires why he, a Jew is speaking to her, a Samaritan. Isn’t this what happens to you and I when we pray. As soon as we find ourselves in the presence of God, is not this our reaction as well? Are we not amazed that Jesus speaks to us? Do we not find ourselves on the one hand unworthy of His presence, and on the other hand desirous that it continue? Notice how attentive the woman is. First she sees that Jesus is a Jew, and now she sees that He has no jug with which to receive the water.

Look at Jesus, can you not see the smile on His face as the woman who does not understand what He is saying continues to listen to Him? Is this not what a parent does with a young child? Do you not smile when your children ask you questions, and, even though they don’t understand your answers keep asking anyways? See how patient Jesus is? He takes the Samaritan woman exactly as she is, and He loves her. He does not get angry with her, He is not condescending, He does not tell her that she should know better; rather, He gently moves her forward. Why does He do so? He is God, and, being God, He knows her heart. In fact, He knows her better than she knows herself. He sees the goodness that is hidden deep within her soul. After all, she is made in His image and likeness, and so, rather than seeing the differences, or the tarnishes, He sees the similarities. At the same time, He is not blind to her defects. God’s love is not stupidity, nor is it naïve optimism. He knows well her faults and her shortcomings, and He knows that, in order to be fulfilled she must change. God’s love for us is not an excuse to sin; neither is it some silly kind of make believe in which we pretend to be perfect, and He pretends not to know that we are not. What makes God’s love so strong and attractive is precisely the fact that we need it, but don’t deserve it. God has no need of us, He is perfect and complete on His own. He did not create us in His image and likeness for His own sake; rather, He did so for us. God wanted to share His goodness and perfection, He did not need to create us and He did not need to redeem us. It is pure love, completely directed towards us, and not at all concerned for Himself. Our creation by God was a gift, and, following on that, so was our Redemption. God would not have lost anything if He had left us in our sin, but, He preferred to take our burden upon Himself and to be deprived of His Divine majesty, so that we, who refused His loving gift could once again say yes to love.

Remember that Jesus was a complete stranger to the woman, and yet, she opens herself up totally to Him. He knows that she is living in sin, and still He talks with her about it. She does not hide her sin from Him. There is something about Him that makes her feel at ease, that overcomes her shame and her guilt. This encounter is not a primitive version of a day time talk show. She is not bragging, she is not making excuses, she is not trying to justify herself. She simply says ‘I have no husband.’ Then seeing her sincerity, Jesus does not hesitate to speak clearly the truth. He tells her that she has had five previous husbands, and is now living with another man. Consider the era. This was a time when women were stoned for adultery. This woman has committed a capital offence, she has merited the death sentence, and Jesus has just informed her that He knows this fact. What does she do? Does she run away? Does she deny it? Does she criticize Jesus? No! She has faith, and she knows that no one but a prophet could have such detailed knowledge of her sinful life. What’s more, she clearly sees that this is a man (she did yet know that He was God) whose love for her is greater than the crimes she has committed. She acknowledges that He is a prophet, and she immediately asks Him about the proper way to honour God.

Any true encounter with Christ always takes this form. When you are in God’s loving presence, you at once have a knowledge of your failings, and, at the same time have the certainty that His love for you goes far beyond your weaknesses. There is no need to make excuses, in fact, there is no desire to do so. Standing sinful before the Lord is more comforting than being justified in His absence. Indeed, God would prefer that you come before Him in your sin than that you run away from Him in innocence. This is why He tells us that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just men who have no need of conversion. There is something so profound about being accepted by God in your misery that an ancient hymn, which is sung every year at the Easter Vigil says ‘O Happy Fault, O Necessary Sin, that won for us so great a saviour.’ A great saint of the 20th century was once asked what the happiest moment in his life was. He replied in all simplicity ‘every time I confess my sins and hear the words of absolution is the happiest moment of my life.’ If we are truly humble, we will not be disturbed by our sinfulness. We will want to change, and we will pray to God for the strength to change, and we will go to confession whenever we feel overwhelmed, but we will never be discouraged and we will never despair. Only those who are following the devil entertain the thought that they should be better than they are, or that it is useless to try to change.

God does not abandon us, as often as we need His mercy, He is there waiting for us. A cup of water is all it took for the Samaritan woman to win eternal life. At the same time, those of us who are priests, or who, like myself are on the road to the priesthood must also do a profound examination of conscience. Woe to me if I am ever lacking in the compassion of Christ. It is true that, by ordination He relies on mere men to dispense His mysteries and grace, at the same time, there is that danger of hardness of heart that we meditated on with the first reading. It is true, there can be occasions when God is not able to forgive sins, but they are very rare, and, even then, the job of the Priest is to help the person who seems trapped in an irresolvable situation of sin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and to pray, along with that person for the grace to bring about a situation in which absolution can be given. There is nothing more terrifying than being refused absolution. I know, because when I was a teen-ager it happened to me. I was visiting Rome, and I went to St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass and I decided to go to confession. At the time I was not well formed, and so, when I went to confession, I did not use the proper form of introducing my sins. The old priest became very angry with me, and said that I could not possibly be sorry, or else I would have said ‘bless me father for I have sinned’ and he refused to absolve me. I told him that I was getting on a plane the following morning, and could I not simply begin the confession again, but he said ‘no, you can’t, go away and pray and come back some other time.’ Thank God I had many friends who are priests and so, when I got back from Rome and went to see my Pastor with tears in my eyes, he told me not to worry, that I had done nothing wrong, and then he heard my confession, the very same one I had tried to make two days earlier in Rome. Please, if any of you have had a bad experience, as I have had, do not let it stop you from returning to the sacrament of reconciliation. Now is the time, and here is the place. God loves you, and He is waiting for you, even if, at times, it can seem as though his priests are not.

When we experience God’s mercy, we cannot but become His disciples. Look at the Samaritan woman. She was so moved by Jesus’ love that she went about her town proclaiming to everyone that she had found the Messiah. Then, even though the whole town must have known about her reputation, there is no way she had five husbands and was now living with a sixth man, without everyone knowing, they all believe her and they go out to find Jesus. The Gospel ends with those beautiful words ‘It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’ Forgiveness of sins always leads to the knowledge of God, and Jesus is the one who forgives our sins. You have nothing to be afraid of. Jesus has already paid the price of your redemption. He has already won the victory over sin and death. There is only one thing that you can do to deny Christ His victory and that is to refuse His mercy by not confessing your sins. May the infinite merits of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus obtain for us all the grace to make frequent use of the sacrament of reconciliation, and, if there is something that you have been hiding, perhaps even for many years, may you have the strength to approach the tribunal of divine mercy and to cleanse yourself in the blood of the lamb.