The Holy Spirit, living water that quenches thirst
Readings: Ex 17, 3-7; Rom 5, 1-2.5-8; John 4, 5-42
After the messianic "sign" of the purification of the temple (Jn 2:13-25), Jesus offers himself to those in darkness, like Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-21), a representative of orthodox Judaism, to those marginalized because they are impure, like the pagan royal official (Jn 4:43-54), and in today's Gospel to a Samaritan woman (Jn 4:5-42). The Samaritans were "bastards" from a religious point of view: in 721 BC the Assyrians deported a large part of the Jews living in Samaria, and replaced them with colonists brought from Assyria. These not only polluted the "ethnic purity" of Israel but, bringing with them their own idolatrous traditions, ended up contaminating the faith of the remaining Jews (2 Kings 17:1-41). Towards the end of the 4th century BC. C. the incessant historical rivalry between north and south ended (Ezra 4) with the Samaritan schism, with the construction of a new sanctuary on Mount Gerizim, near Shechem, and the acceptance by the Samaritans only of the books of the Pentateuch (some read in this sense Jesus' allusion to the woman's "five husbands" in John 4:18).
Jesus then reveals himself to a woman excommunicated by the official Church, and furthermore considered inferior because she was a woman, to the point that "the disciples marveled that he was talking with a woman" (Jn 4:27). But to everyone, Jesus promises living water that quenches thirst and becomes in those who drink it "a spring welling up to eternal life" (Jn 4:14). To grasp the vital importance of the theme of water, we must remember that Jesus speaks to people living in desert areas, where finding water every day is the primary struggle for survival. The first reading, in fact, presents us with one of the gravest trials for Israel in its Exodus, that of the lack of water, miraculously resolved by God's Providence (Ex 17:3-7). Paul will reread this event by identifying the rock from which the water flowed in the desert with Christ himself: “For they were drinking from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:3-4).
For the Old Testament, the water that flowed from the divine rock was Wisdom (Prov 18:4), it was the Law of God (Sir 24:23-29). For Jesus, the living water that he gives is the Holy Spirit:
“Jesus cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (Hebrews 7:37-39) This living water will flow from his side (John 19:35) when he “gives forth the Spirit” (John 19:30).
Paul admirably announces in the second reading the satisfaction of all our thirsts and the fulfillment of our hopes, describing the deepest meaning of salvation with a verse that is probably the heart of the entire letter to the Romans: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 8:5). It is the Holy Spirit of love, from whom "we have all drunk" (1 Cor 12:13), who quenches our thirst, satiates us, fills us, makes us happy, placing us in a profound relationship with that God who "is Spirit – and those who worship him must worship in spirit" (Jn 4:24), allowing us to experience his tenderness, making us capable of authentic prayer (Rom 8:15,26).
“Through communion in his body and blood, Christ also communicates his Spirit to us” (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 17). “Communion with Christ is therefore communion with the Spirit. Every time you drink…, you are inebriated by the Spirit” (St. Ambrose). May we all know how to fill ourselves with Christ's Spirit of Love in every Eucharist, and then run like the Samaritan woman to proclaim the Gospel to everyone we meet.
Pig iron
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
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The Holy Spirit, living water that quenches thirst
Readings: Ex 17, 3-7; Rom 5, 1-2.5-8; John 4, 5-42
After the messianic "sign" of the purification of the temple (Jn 2:13-25), Jesus offers himself to those in darkness, like Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-21), a representative of orthodox Judaism, to those marginalized because they are impure, like the pagan royal official (Jn 4:43-54), and in today's Gospel to a Samaritan woman (Jn 4:5-42). The Samaritans were "bastards" from a religious point of view: in 721 BC the Assyrians deported a large part of the Jews living in Samaria, and replaced them with colonists brought from Assyria. These not only polluted the "ethnic purity" of Israel but, bringing with them their own idolatrous traditions, ended up contaminating the faith of the remaining Jews (2 Kings 17:1-41). Towards the end of the 4th century BC. C. the incessant historical rivalry between north and south ended (Ezra 4) with the Samaritan schism, with the construction of a new sanctuary on Mount Gerizim, near Shechem, and the acceptance by the Samaritans only of the books of the Pentateuch (some read in this sense Jesus' allusion to the woman's "five husbands" in John 4:18).
Jesus then reveals himself to a woman excommunicated by the official Church, and furthermore considered inferior because she was a woman, to the point that "the disciples marveled that he was talking with a woman" (Jn 4:27). But to everyone, Jesus promises living water that quenches thirst and becomes in those who drink it "a spring welling up to eternal life" (Jn 4:14). To grasp the vital importance of the theme of water, we must remember that Jesus speaks to people living in desert areas, where finding water every day is the primary struggle for survival. The first reading, in fact, presents us with one of the gravest trials for Israel in its Exodus, that of the lack of water, miraculously resolved by God's Providence (Ex 17:3-7). Paul will reread this event by identifying the rock from which the water flowed in the desert with Christ himself: “For they were drinking from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:3-4).
For the Old Testament, the water that flowed from the divine rock was Wisdom (Prov 18:4), it was the Law of God (Sir 24:23-29). For Jesus, the living water that he gives is the Holy Spirit:
“Jesus cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (Hebrews 7:37-39) This living water will flow from his side (John 19:35) when he “gives forth the Spirit” (John 19:30).
Paul admirably announces in the second reading the satisfaction of all our thirsts and the fulfillment of our hopes, describing the deepest meaning of salvation with a verse that is probably the heart of the entire letter to the Romans: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 8:5). It is the Holy Spirit of love, from whom "we have all drunk" (1 Cor 12:13), who quenches our thirst, satiates us, fills us, makes us happy, placing us in a profound relationship with that God who "is Spirit – and those who worship him must worship in spirit" (Jn 4:24), allowing us to experience his tenderness, making us capable of authentic prayer (Rom 8:15,26).
“Through communion in his body and blood, Christ also communicates his Spirit to us” (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 17). “Communion with Christ is therefore communion with the Spirit. Every time you drink…, you are inebriated by the Spirit” (St. Ambrose). May we all know how to fill ourselves with Christ's Spirit of Love in every Eucharist, and then run like the Samaritan woman to proclaim the Gospel to everyone we meet.
Pig iron
The Holy Spirit, living water that quenches thirst
Readings: Ex 17, 3-7; Rom 5, 1-2.5-8; John 4, 5-42
After the messianic "sign" of the purification of the temple (Jn 2:13-25), Jesus offers himself to those in darkness, like Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-21), a representative of orthodox Judaism, to those marginalized because they are impure, like the pagan royal official (Jn 4:43-54), and in today's Gospel to a Samaritan woman (Jn 4:5-42). The Samaritans were "bastards" from a religious point of view: in 721 BC the Assyrians deported a large part of the Jews living in Samaria, and replaced them with colonists brought from Assyria. These not only polluted the "ethnic purity" of Israel but, bringing with them their own idolatrous traditions, ended up contaminating the faith of the remaining Jews (2 Kings 17:1-41). Towards the end of the 4th century BC. C. the incessant historical rivalry between north and south ended (Ezra 4) with the Samaritan schism, with the construction of a new sanctuary on Mount Gerizim, near Shechem, and the acceptance by the Samaritans only of the books of the Pentateuch (some read in this sense Jesus' allusion to the woman's "five husbands" in John 4:18).
Jesus then reveals himself to a woman excommunicated by the official Church, and furthermore considered inferior because she was a woman, to the point that "the disciples marveled that he was talking with a woman" (Jn 4:27). But to everyone, Jesus promises living water that quenches thirst and becomes in those who drink it "a spring welling up to eternal life" (Jn 4:14). To grasp the vital importance of the theme of water, we must remember that Jesus speaks to people living in desert areas, where finding water every day is the primary struggle for survival. The first reading, in fact, presents us with one of the gravest trials for Israel in its Exodus, that of the lack of water, miraculously resolved by God's Providence (Ex 17:3-7). Paul will reread this event by identifying the rock from which the water flowed in the desert with Christ himself: “For they were drinking from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:3-4).
For the Old Testament, the water that flowed from the divine rock was Wisdom (Prov 18:4), it was the Law of God (Sir 24:23-29). For Jesus, the living water that he gives is the Holy Spirit:
“Jesus cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (Hebrews 7:37-39) This living water will flow from his side (John 19:35) when he “gives forth the Spirit” (John 19:30).
Paul admirably announces in the second reading the satisfaction of all our thirsts and the fulfillment of our hopes, describing the deepest meaning of salvation with a verse that is probably the heart of the entire letter to the Romans: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 8:5). It is the Holy Spirit of love, from whom "we have all drunk" (1 Cor 12:13), who quenches our thirst, satiates us, fills us, makes us happy, placing us in a profound relationship with that God who "is Spirit – and those who worship him must worship in spirit" (Jn 4:24), allowing us to experience his tenderness, making us capable of authentic prayer (Rom 8:15,26).
“Through communion in his body and blood, Christ also communicates his Spirit to us” (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 17). “Communion with Christ is therefore communion with the Spirit. Every time you drink…, you are inebriated by the Spirit” (St. Ambrose). May we all know how to fill ourselves with Christ's Spirit of Love in every Eucharist, and then run like the Samaritan woman to proclaim the Gospel to everyone we meet.
Pig iron
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Psalm III Sunday of Lent
Psalm II Sunday of Lent
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Psalm I Sunday of Lent
FIRST SUNDAYS OF LENT
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
V SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A
IV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A
III SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A