Fourth Sunday of Lent – Year A Readings
Lectionary: 31

Reading 1 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a

The LORD said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”

As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6.

R. (1)  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2 EPH 5:8-14

Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

Verse Before the Gospel Jn 8:12

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.

Gospel Jn 9:1-41

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered,
“Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
He replied,
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes
and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’
So I went there and washed and was able to see.”
And they said to him, “Where is he?”

He said, “I don’t know.”

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”

Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
They asked them,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How does he now see?”
His parents answered and said,
“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes.
Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid
of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
“He is of age; question him.”

So a second time they called the man who had been blind
and said to him, “Give God the praise!
We know that this man is a sinner.”
He replied,
“If he is a sinner, I do not know.
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”
So they said to him,
“What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them,
“I told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?

Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
They ridiculed him and said,
“You are that man’s disciple;
we are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this one is from.”
The man answered and said to them,
“This is what is so amazing,
that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners,
but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.
It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he would not be able to do anything.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
“I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind.”

Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this
and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

My Brothers and Sisters,

 God does not judge people by their appearance or their lofty positions within society. Even though one might be respected and held in high esteem by society does not mean that God feels the same way about a particular individual. The riches and power that one may obtain while living their life has no direct bearing on what that person will receive from God or what type of relationship he or she might have with Him. In fact, the direct opposite is true. The lesser esteem one is held in the eyes of society opens up a greater opportunity that he or she just may be ready for a special relationship with God. God makes this evident throughout Sacred Scriptures by lifting up individuals of lesser importance and lesser status to the highest of heights. It is through God that these people achieve the greatest of things regardless of where they came from or what they did previously. This serves as a constant reminder of who we are without God and what we can become if we accept what He is offering: a shared experience of His love.

King David is a perfect example of this. He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and wasn’t even invited to the feast. Instead, he was regulated to tending the sheep while the rest of the family attended the event. There was no expectation that he even going to be missed. Instead of being proud of his youngest son, Jesse dismissed him and relegated him to the lowest job in the household. It was a job that a member of a prestigious family wouldn’t even expect to do. Yet, this was who God chose to lead the Kingdom of Israel. This was who God chose to anoint. What God saw in David everyone else missed because everyone else, including Jesse, judged David by human terms and not by divine which is only reserved for God. God took David and then, through His presence and David’s willingness, shaped him into what God wanted him to be.

We are all invited into that same relationship with God. We are urged to leave behind everything that we know and to begin our lives anew with God. The past becomes the past and takes on no importance as long as we become open to a transformative experience with God. The past has indeed shaped us and has given us wisdom which has led us to God but it has no power to define us when it comes to a relationship with God and what we can accomplish through Him. It is through God that we become new creations and  our old selves fade away.

The Apostle Paul explains in his letter today how we were all once in darkness but now we live in the light. Living in the light means that the darkness has gone and all that was done there has disappeared with it. Our only challenge now is to stay in the light and not to journey back into the darkness. What was done in the darkness has died because it has been exposed to the light. Only we have the power and capability of bringing all it back through our actions and choices that do not include Jesus in the equation. As long as everything is done through, by, and with Jesus Christ then there is no chance of the darkness returning. Yes, we do struggle with the temptations which may lure us there but Jesus is with us; ready and willing to offer his help.

Living a life with Jesus Christ can be challenging in many ways especially when we are confronted with temptations and choices which have their origins in our behaviors not influenced by Jesus. These will always be present; beckoning to us to return to our former lives. But now we are possessors of a higher truth and a higher awareness that has the capability of putting things into perspective. There will be people who will be critical of us; remembering things that we did before we were lifted up by Jesus and were called to a higher purpose. They will not be able to come to terms of with the person they knew previous and the person that we are now. They will be quick to judge and will look for any indication that we are not being true to ourselves. Usually those who are quick to judge and condemn are the ones who are afraid to look at themselves or don’t truly understand who Jesus Christ is and the power He commands. They are the ones who just might be sick and need to be prayed for.

Nobody is perfect except for God Himself. The best that we can hope for is Divine Revelation to guide us and the presence of God’s love to make us better men and women. It is through the accepting of Jesus Christ into our hearts and loving Him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and body that we can enjoy the process of change and the receiving of His wisdom daily. We can then experience true joy and always expect greater things to come.

Deacon Tom

IV Domingo de Cuaresma
Leccionario: 31

Primera lectura

1 Sm 16, 1b. 6-7. 10-13a

En aquellos días, dijo el Señor a Samuel: “Ve a la casa de Jesé, en Belén, porque de entre sus hijos me he escogido un rey. Llena, pues, tu cuerno de aceite para ungirlo y vete”.

Cuando llegó Samuel a Belén y vio a Eliab, el hijo mayor de Jesé, pensó: “Éste es, sin duda, el que voy a ungir como rey”. Pero el Señor le dijo: “No te dejes impresionar por su aspecto ni por su gran estatura, pues yo lo he descartado, porque yo no juzgo como juzga el hombre. El hombre se fija en las apariencias, pero el Señor se fija en los corazones”.

Así fueron pasando ante Samuel siete de los hijos de Jesé; pero Samuel dijo: “Ninguno de éstos es el elegido del Señor”. Luego le preguntó a Jesé: “¿Son éstos todos tus hijos?” Él respondió: “Falta el más pequeño, que está cuidando el rebaño”. Samuel le dijo: “Hazlo venir, porque no nos sentaremos a comer hasta que llegue”. Y Jesé lo mandó llamar.

El muchacho era rubio, de ojos vivos y buena presencia. Entonces el Señor dijo a Samuel: “Levántate y úngelo, porque éste es”. Tomó Samuel el cuerno con el aceite y lo ungió delante de sus hermanos. A partir de aquel día, el espíritu del Señor estuvo con David.

Salmo Responsorial

Salmo 22, 1-3a, 3b-4. 5. 6

R. (1) El Señor es mi pastor, nade me faltará.
El Señor es mi pastor, nada me falta:
en verdes praderas me hace reposar
y hacia fuentes tranquilas me conduce
para reparar mis fuerzas.
R. El Señor es mi pastor, nade me faltará.
Por ser un Dios fiel a sus promesas,
me guía por el sendero recto;
así, aunque camine por cañadas oscuras,
nada temo, porque tú estás conmigo.
Tu vara y tu cayado me dan seguridad.
R. El Señor es mi pastor, nade me faltará.
Tú mismo me preparas la mesa,
a despecho de mis adversarios;
me unges la cabeza con perfume
y llenas mi copa hasta los bordes.
R. El Señor es mi pastor, nade me faltará.
Tu bondad y tu misericordia me acompañarán
todos los días de mi vida;
y viviré en la casa del Señor
por años sin término.
R. El Señor es mi pastor, nade me faltará.

Segunda Lectura

Ef 5, 8-14

Hermanos: En otro tiempo ustedes fueron tinieblas, pero ahora, unidos al Señor, son luz. Vivan, por lo tanto, como hijos de la luz. Los frutos de la luz son la bondad, la santidad y la verdad. Busquen lo que es agradable al Señor y no tomen parte en las obras estériles de los que son tinieblas.

Al contrario, repruébenlas abiertamente; porque, si bien las cosas que ellos hacen en secreto da vergüenza aun mencionarlas, al ser reprobadas abiertamente, todo queda en claro, porque todo lo que es iluminado por la luz se convierte en luz.

Por eso se dice: Despierta, tú que duermes; levántate de entre los muertos y Cristo será tu luz.

Aclamación antes del Evangelio

Jn 8, 12b

R. Honor y gloria a ti, Señor Jesús.
Yo soy la luz del mundo, dice el Señor;
el que me sigue tendrá la luz de la vida.
R. Honor y gloria a ti, Señor Jesús.

Evangelio

Jn 9, 1-41

En aquel tiempo, Jesús vio al pasar a un ciego de nacimiento, y sus discípulos le preguntaron: “Maestro, ¿quién pecó para que éste naciera ciego, él o sus padres?” Jesús respondió: “Ni él pecó, ni tampoco sus padres. Nació así para que en él se manifestaran las obras de Dios. Es necesario que yo haga las obras del que me envió, mientras es de día, porque luego llega la noche y ya nadie puede trabajar. Mientras esté en el mundo, yo soy la luz del mundo”.

Dicho esto, escupió en el suelo, hizo lodo con la saliva, se lo puso en los ojos al ciego y le dijo: “Ve a lavarte en la piscina de Siloé” (que significa ‘Enviado’). Él fue, se lavó y volvió con vista.

Entonces los vecinos y los que lo habían visto antes pidiendo limosna, preguntaban: “¿No es éste el que se sentaba a pedir limosna?” Unos decían: “Es el mismo”. Otros: “No es él, sino que se le parece”. Pero él decía: “Yo soy”. Y le preguntaban: “Entonces, ¿cómo se te abrieron los ojos?” Él les respondió: “El hombre que se llama Jesús hizo lodo, me lo puso en los ojos y me dijo: ‘Ve a Siloé y lávate’. Entonces fui, me lavé y comencé a ver”. Le preguntaron: “¿En dónde está él?” Les contestó: “No lo sé”.

Llevaron entonces ante los fariseos al que había sido ciego. Era sábado el día en que Jesús hizo lodo y le abrió los ojos. También los fariseos le preguntaron cómo había adquirido la vista. Él les contestó: “Me puso lodo en los ojos, me lavé y veo”. Algunos de los fariseos comentaban: “Ese hombre no viene de Dios, porque no guarda el sábado”. Otros replicaban: “¿Cómo puede un pecador hacer semejantes prodigios?” Y había división entre ellos. Entonces volvieron a preguntarle al ciego: “Y tú, ¿qué piensas del que te abrió los ojos?” Él les contestó: “Que es un profeta”.

Pero los judíos no creyeron que aquel hombre, que había sido ciego, hubiera recobrado la vista. Llamaron, pues, a sus padres y les preguntaron: “¿Es éste su hijo, del que ustedes dicen que nació ciego? ¿Cómo es que ahora ve?” Sus padres contestaron: “Sabemos que éste es nuestro hijo y que nació ciego. Cómo es que ahora ve o quién le haya dado la vista, no lo sabemos. Pregúntenselo a él; ya tiene edad suficiente y responderá por sí mismo”. Los padres del que había sido ciego dijeron esto por miedo a los judíos, porque éstos ya habían convenido en expulsar de la sinagoga a quien reconociera a Jesús como el Mesías. Por eso sus padres dijeron: ‘Ya tiene edad; pregúntenle a él’.

Llamaron de nuevo al que había sido ciego y le dijeron: “Da gloria a Dios. Nosotros sabemos que ese hombre es pecador”. Contestó él: “Si es pecador, yo no lo sé; sólo sé que yo era ciego y ahora veo”. Le preguntaron otra vez: “¿Qué te hizo? ¿Cómo te abrió los ojos?” Les contestó: “Ya se lo dije a ustedes y no me han dado crédito. ¿Para qué quieren oírlo otra vez? ¿Acaso también ustedes quieren hacerse discípulos suyos?” Entonces ellos lo llenaron de insultos y le dijeron: “Discípulo de ése lo serás tú. Nosotros somos discípulos de Moisés. Nosotros sabemos que a Moisés le habló Dios. Pero ése, no sabemos de dónde viene”.

Replicó aquel hombre: “Es curioso que ustedes no sepan de dónde viene y, sin embargo, me ha abierto los ojos. Sabemos que Dios no escucha a los pecadores, pero al que lo teme y hace su voluntad, a ése sí lo escucha. Jamás se había oído decir que alguien abriera los ojos a un ciego de nacimiento. Si éste no viniera de Dios, no tendría ningún poder”. Le replicaron: “Tú eres puro pecado desde que naciste, ¿cómo pretendes darnos lecciones?” Y lo echaron fuera.

Supo Jesús que lo habían echado fuera, y cuando lo encontró, le dijo: “¿Crees tú en el Hijo del hombre?” Él contestó: “¿Y quién es, Señor, para que yo crea en él?” Jesús le dijo: “Ya lo has visto; el que está hablando contigo, ése es”. Él dijo: “Creo, Señor”. Y postrándose, lo adoró.

Entonces le dijo Jesús: “Yo he venido a este mundo para que se definan los campos: para que los ciegos vean, y los que ven queden ciegos”. Al oír esto, algunos fariseos que estaban con él le preguntaron: “¿Entonces también nosotros estamos ciegos?” Jesús les contestó: “Si estuvieran ciegos, no tendrían pecado; pero como dicen que ven, siguen en su pecado”.

Mis hermanos y hermanas,

 Dios no juzga a las personas por su apariencia o sus altas posiciones dentro de la sociedad. Aun cuando uno pueda ser respetado y considerado en alta estima por la sociedad, no significa que Dios sienta lo mismo por un individuo en particular. Las riquezas y el poder que uno puede obtener mientras viven su vida no tiene relación directa con lo que esa persona recibirá de Dios o el tipo de relación que pueda tener con él. De hecho, lo contrario es cierto. La menor estima que uno tiene ante los ojos de la sociedad abre una mayor oportunidad de que él o ella pueda estar listo para una relación especial con Dios. Dios hace esto evidente a lo largo de las Sagradas Escrituras al elevar a individuos de menor importancia y estatus inferior a las alturas más altas. Es a través de Dios que estas personas logran la mejor de las cosas sin importar de dónde vinieron o lo que hicieron anteriormente. Esto sirve como un recordatorio constante de quiénes somos sin Dios y de lo que podemos llegar a ser si aceptamos lo que Él está ofreciendo: una experiencia compartida de Su amor.

El rey David es un ejemplo perfecto de esto. Él era el más joven de los hijos de Jesse y ni siquiera fue invitado a la fiesta. En su lugar, se le ordenó que cuidara las ovejas, mientras que el resto de la familia asistió al evento. No había ninguna expectativa de que se lo extrañara. En lugar de estar orgulloso de su hijo menor, Jesse lo despidió y lo relegó al trabajo más bajo de la casa. Era un trabajo que un miembro de una familia prestigiosa ni siquiera esperaría hacer. Sin embargo, esto fue lo que Dios eligió para dirigir el Reino de Israel. Esto fue lo que Dios eligió ungir. Lo que Dios vio en David a todos los demás se perdió porque todos los demás, incluido Jesse, juzgaron a David por los términos humanos y no por lo divino, que solo está reservado para Dios. Dios se llevó a David y luego, a través de su presencia y la disposición de David, lo convirtió en lo que Dios quería que fuera.

Todos estamos invitados a esa misma relación con Dios. Se nos insta a dejar atrás todo lo que sabemos y comenzar de nuevo nuestras vidas con Dios. El pasado se convierte en pasado y no cobra importancia mientras nos abrimos a una experiencia transformadora con Dios. El pasado nos ha dado forma y nos ha dado sabiduría que nos ha llevado a Dios, pero no tiene poder para definirnos cuando se trata de una relación con Dios y lo que podemos lograr a través de Él. Es a través de Dios que nos convertimos en nuevas creaciones y nuestro antiguo ser desaparece.

El apóstol Pablo explica en su carta de hoy cómo todos estuvimos una vez en la oscuridad, pero ahora vivimos en la luz. Vivir en la luz significa que la oscuridad se ha ido y todo lo que se hizo allí ha desaparecido con ella. Nuestro único desafío ahora es permanecer en la luz y no regresar a la oscuridad. Lo que se hizo en la oscuridad ha muerto porque ha sido expuesto a la luz. Solo nosotros tenemos el poder y la capacidad de traer todo de vuelta a través de nuestras acciones y elecciones que no incluyen a Jesús en la ecuación. Mientras todo se haga a través de, por, y con Jesucristo, entonces no hay posibilidad de que la oscuridad regrese. Sí, luchamos con las tentaciones que nos pueden atraer allí, pero Jesús está con nosotros; Listo y dispuesto a ofrecer su ayuda.

Vivir una vida con Jesucristo puede ser desafiante de muchas maneras, especialmente cuando nos enfrentamos a tentaciones y elecciones que tienen su origen en nuestros comportamientos no influenciados por Jesús. Estos siempre estarán presentes; pidiéndonos que regresemos a nuestras vidas anteriores. Pero ahora somos poseedores de una verdad superior y una conciencia superior que tiene la capacidad de poner las cosas en perspectiva. Habrá gente que será crítica de nosotros; recordando las cosas que hicimos antes de ser levantados por Jesús y ser llamados a un propósito superior. No podrán llegar a un acuerdo con la persona que conocían anteriormente y con la persona que somos ahora. Serán rápidos para juzgar y buscarán cualquier indicio de que no estamos siendo fieles a nosotros mismos. Por lo general, aquellos que son rápidos para juzgar y condenar son los que temen mirarse a sí mismos o no comprenden realmente quién es Jesucristo y el poder que Él manda. Ellos son los que podrían estar enfermos y necesitan ser orados por ellos.

Nadie es perfecto, excepto el mismo Dios. Lo mejor que podemos esperar es la Revelación Divina para guiarnos y la presencia del amor de Dios para hacernos mejores hombres y mujeres. Es a través de la aceptación de Jesucristo en nuestros corazones y de amarlo con todo nuestro corazón, alma, mente y cuerpo que podemos disfrutar el proceso de cambio y la recepción de su sabiduría diariamente. Entonces podemos experimentar la verdadera alegría y esperar siempre que vengan cosas mayores.

Diácono tom

Third Sunday of Lent – Year A Readings
Lectionary: 28

Reading 1 Ex 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?"
So Moses cried out to the LORD,
"What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!"
The LORD answered Moses,
"Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink."
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the LORD, saying,
"Is the LORD in our midst or not?"

Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9.

R. (8)  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
 as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
 they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2 Rom 5:1-2, 5-8

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Verse Before the Gospel Cf. Jn 4:42, 15

Lord, you are truly the Savior of the world;
give me living water, that I may never thirst again.

Gospel Jn 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob's well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
"Give me a drink."
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
"How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?"
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
"If you knew the gift of God
and who 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 do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?"
Jesus answered and said to her,
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
The woman said to him,
"Sir, give me this water, so that I may not 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 and said to him,
"I do not have a husband."
Jesus answered her,
"You are right in saying, 'I do not have a 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 can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus said to her,
"Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people 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, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything."
Jesus said to her,
"I am he, the one speaking with you."

At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, "What are you looking for?"
or "Why are you talking with her?"
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
"Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?"
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat."
But he said to them,
"I have food to eat of which you do not know."
So the disciples said to one another,
"Could someone have brought him something to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.'
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work."

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
"He told me everything I have done."
When the Samaritans came to him,

they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
"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."

My Brothers and Sisters,

 The barrenness that we may sometimes feel inside of us is not something we should lament about but it is something that we should embrace. It is the presence of the Crucified Christ within us. This presence designates a very special relationship. We are all lonely and helpless at some point within our lives. We find ourselves bombarded by negative thoughts. Our sins become magnified while we feel unworthy of joy. It is during times like these that we must envision ourselves walking the Passion with Jesus Christ. Jesus’ suffering presents an example of what he feels for us and what he did for us. It was a sacrifice that was done out of pure love. As Christians, we are invited to experience that same pain and sacrifice every day. Jesus suffered for us and, when we suffer, his actions become much more evident. We also become united with him. It becomes a mutual suffering. Through this suffering there is a healing process. The pain is not forever. Anything experienced in this world is just temporary. Beyond it is complete joy.

When there are obstacles and crisis in our lives there is a natural reaction to think that God has something to do with it. We feel that we are being punished. The more we suffer the more we tend to become a helpless victim. We surrender ourselves to circumstances and fail to look beyond the present. God is not punishing us. God is carrying us. If we recognize this, then we are able to accept His help and look beyond what is affecting us in the present. Nothing is impossible with God. He will guide us, suffer with us, and will ultimately bring us to a path of victory. It is not the goal of victory that He wants us to focus on but the experience which will shape us and transform us; bringing us closer to Him. Relationships have the ability to become stronger in times of crisis if only we let go and understand that our condition is only temporary. Our relationship with God is the same. If we experience our lives with Him and join with Him then the revelations born through hardship can more easily be seen.

Through Jesus Christ our lives will bear fruit. The fruit is a product of his love for us and his presence. Just as it takes time for a plant to grow, so will the influence of Jesus take time to take root and bring forth a rich and bountiful harvest. Nothing happens overnight. In fact, just as it takes years for a fruit tree to bring forth its most luscious fruit, our spiritual harvest will take time to reach its peak. There must be patience, continual nourishment, trimming, and loving hard work. This work comes in the form of spiritual works and corporal works. There will be small adjustments and large adjustments with the guidance of Jesus. No one becomes a farmer overnight just as no one can transform into a completely different person. Jesus can provide the nourishment but we have to react to what is given to us. He is waiting for us to spring forth in splendor and he has the patience to wait. He wants us to be the perfect. In the end, we will be because he will let no of us go to waste.

Deacon Tom