Love in Lent

By -

Imagine, just imagine meeting Jesus in person.  What would you say to him?  How would you react?  Would you start complaining to him, or would you drop to your knees?

In John's gospel (Chapter 4, Verses 5-42) we hear the account of a Samaritan woman who goes to collect water in the middle of the day.  There are reasons that she went at that time of day.  I'm not going to get into them right now, but, as the passage unfolds, she comes across Jesus sitting at the well, resting, because he was tired.

They have an interesting exchange, and you definitely should read the entire passage, but here's what I don't want you to miss . . .

After the woman encountered Jesus, and once she realized he was a prophet, maybe even the Messiah (the expected savior), she ran into town (leaving her water jar behind!) and told the people:

“Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?”

What did Jesus say to her that was so significant, even for us today?

Jesus knew the woman was thirsty because she was coming to a well to draw water.  He told her he could make it so she never thirsted again. He knew, and acknowledged her sketchy past, without her even telling him.  And, finally, he told her that yes, indeed, she was speaking to the Messiah.

Look at the big picture. The woman has an unexpected encounter with Jesus.  He gives her new life, and she goes and tells everyone.  She just had to share the good news.  She couldn't keep it to herself.

If you have encountered Jesus in your life, you know exactly what I am talking about.  Because you love others, you want them to experience what you have experienced.  Once you have an encounter with Jesus, your life changes.

Unfortunately, just telling people about Jesus is not the same as them having an encounter with him.  That is why it is so difficult to evangelize.  Disciples can tell other people (and they should!) about their own encounter, but as we all know, describing someone (Jesus) is not the same as knowing him.

This gift of himself that Jesus gives to each and every one of us depends on our openness to receive him.  There's no secret sauce here.  Jesus is not hiding behind a curtain, ready to jump out once you find him.  It just isn't like that.

Jesus loves us.  He doesn't play games with us. And right now, he is waiting for YOU.  You may find that taking the first step and turning toward him is hard, but that's only because you are afraid.  It is not because he makes it difficult.

Love is waiting for you this Lent.  Open your mind and heart and receive him.  You will never regret it.

Janet Cassidy
#lent
#love

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SAINT ELIZABETH, MOTHER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST- Feast: November 5

By -
Image
Elizabeth appears in the Gospel of Luke, where she is described as “righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly,”.  I imagine that she was warm, loving and obviously a safe harbour for young Mary, who was not married when she conceived.  When Mary came to visit her, Elizabeth was pregnant with St. John the Baptist and in her sixth month: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And how have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, the moment that the sound of thy greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who has believed, because the things promised her by the Lord shall be accomplished.” 
Read more

The Memorare

By Helen Gonsalves -
Image
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem...
Read more

'Greater Love: Richie Fernando SJ', a joy-filled Filipino missionary

By -
Image
 I haven't been able to post for more than a week as I was giving an eight-day directed retreat to eight sisters of the Missionaries of Charity near Manila. While I had some access to the internet it was rather slow. I had intended to make a post here on the murder of Fr Fausto Tentorio PIME , a 59-year-old Italian priest, in the Diocese of Kidapawan, Mindanao, on Monday 17 October. I will save that post for a later date. As I was looking for a video about Father Fausto I came across one about Brother Richard Michael 'Richie' Fernando SJ, a Filipino Jesuit scholastic who died while trying to prevent a troubled and disabled young man in Cambodia from throwing a grenade. That was in 1996 - on 17 October. Father Fausto gave his life exactly 15 years later. I remember the mixture of sorrow and pride I felt when I read of the death of Brother Richie, pride as a missionary in the Philippines that a young Filipino seminarian had given his life so spontaneously in order to sav...
Read more