Are you ready to allow Jesus to change your life?

THE MAN WHO REVEALED THE SECRETS OF MY LIFE

Jn. 4:5 -42

I consider myself a very fortunate person because several years ago I stood at Jacob’s well in Samaria where Jesus spoke to the woman we read about in today’s Gospel.  If you were to travel to the Holy Land today I would be very surprised if you would be able to stand at this well as I did.  It is now a no go area because of all of the friction there is between the Israelites and the Palestinians.  How sad this must make our Blessed Lady who wants all God’s children to live in peace.

What lesson can we take away from today’s Gospel story?  There are many.  May I suggest one?  It teaches us how each one of us is unique and special to Jesus.  He treats each one of us as individuals.  It was not politically correct for Jesus, a Jew to speak to a Samaritan let alone a woman.  Jesus was above such stupid and petty rules.  For Him this woman was a child of God and to Him it made no difference what her sex or nationality was.  To Jesus she was unique, like any of God’s children.  No one in this world had the same personality as she did.  I love this thought about ourselves.  Because of this you can say no one in this whole world can say to God the words, “I love you” as you can.  No one can pray the Our Father as you can.  I find that thought very encouraging and comforting when praying.

Jesus’ approach to this lonely woman was ever so gentle.  He wanted to win her love.  There was nothing forceful about His manner.  If He had been she may never have opened herself to Him.  Jesus began by asking her to give Him a drink.  This surprised her and she said, “You a Jew asking me a Samaritan woman to give you a drink.”  Her reply gave Jesus the opening He wanted.  He said, “If only you knew who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask Him, and He would give you life-giving water.”  Eventually Jesus comes round to tell her that whoever drinks the water that He can provide will never be thirsty again.  The thought that she would never again have to make the tiresome journey every day from her house to this well was such a pleasant one and unbelievable that she said, “Sir, give me that water.” 

Now that Jesus had won over her confidence He completely changed the subject of the conversation and said, “Go and call your husband and come back.”  I wonder what she really thought at that moment.  Did she think, “Why do you want to know this and why should I tell you?”  So to evade the question she simply said, “I haven’t got a husband.”  What a surprise she must have got when Jesus revealed her dark secret.  “You have been married five times and the man you live with now is not really your husband.  You were telling the truth.  The man you are living with now is not your husband.”  We may have thought that she would take offence at this instead she exclaimed, “I see you are a prophet, Sir!”  What a fortunate woman she was for from that moment, on her own, Jesus gave her the lesson about how and where people will worship the Father.  At hearing all this she elicited from Jesus Himself the fact that He was the Messiah. 

Jesus had made a conquest.  He had completed all that He wanted to say to her and at this moment the Apostles joined Him.  He had brought happiness into her life.  Without filling her bucket with water she rushed back to the town to tell anyone she could meet of the man who had told her everything about her life.  She was so excited that they went with her back to the well to meet this Man.

What can we glean from this story to benefit us?  First of all we must believe that like this woman Jesus is interested in each one of us as if we were the only person in the world.  He is interested in us and we are special to Him. 

This woman was not afraid to open herself to Jesus which is what we do when we go to Confession.  Do we get the same benefits from our Confessions as she did from her meeting with Jesus?  In Confession are we as honest as this woman?  Or are our Confessions just a repeated list of sins and so we make no progress and get no benefit from going?  Let us tear up that list and make our Confessions a real heart to heart chat with Jesus.  Not being superficial, but going to the root of our failings, our pride, our sloth, our impatience, our anger, our lust. 

Lord Jesus, transform our lives like You transformed the life of this Samaritan woman and may we be the means of drawing others to You.

FURTHER READINGS FROM FATHER FRANCIS HERE