Antoni BigCuore *
São Paulo,SP.,Brazil, 2.017/03/19.
Catholic Liturgy On next Sunday: Our biblical reflection today is foreseen in the Gospel of St. John chapter. 4, 5-15; 19.b, 26.39; 40-42)
"At that time Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. That was where Jacob's well was. Tired from the journey, Jesus sat down by the well. It was about noon. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to him, "Give me a drink."
The disciples had gone to the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman then said to Jesus, "How is it that you, as a Jew, ask me to drink, that I am a Samaritan woman?" Indeed, the Jews do not go against the Samaritans.
Jesus answered him, "If you knew the gift of God and who asked you, 'Give me a drink,' you yourself would ask him, and he would give you living water."
The woman said to Jesus, "Lord, you do not even have a bucket and the well is deep. Where are you going to get some living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank of it, and his sons and his cattle? "
Jesus answered, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst. And the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. "
The woman said to Jesus, "Lord, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty and I will not have to come here to get it out." "Lord, I see that you are a prophet!" Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem we must worship. "
Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman. The time is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, for salvation comes from the Jews.
But the time has come, and it is now, that the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. In fact, these are the worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. "
The woman said to Jesus: "I know that the Messiah (who is called Christ) will come. When he comes, he will make us know all things. " Jesus said to him, "I am speaking to you."
Many Samaritans from that city embraced faith in Jesus. So the Samaritans came to meet Jesus and asked him to remain with them. Jesus remained there for two days. And many others believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your words, for we ourselves hear and know that this is truly the savior of the world."
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The exegete, Fr. José Bortolini, says: "While the Jews worshiped God in the temple of Jerusalem, the Samaritans worshiped him in the temple of the mount of Garizim. Jesus overcomes religious nationalism by showing that God wants to be worshiped in the very dimension of human life. "(1)
A. BIGCUORE´S REFLECTION: One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible that I think. The Master, right away, breaks protocol by talking to a woman who was a Samaritan woman. As you know, the Jews did not "give" themselves to the Samaritans.
As long as she did not "drop the plug," the woman thought of natural, material water, which kills her thirst once and then becomes thirsty again.
Jesus demonstrates all of his CAPACITY TO LOVE, leaving aside prejudices and showing her that He was indeed the true Messiah, the Christ, the One who would rescue humanity from its sins and sufferings. Jesus welcomes her with all affection and love, just as she is, a sinful woman.
Jesus told her of "living water" that which sats the body and soul eternally! It is WATER itself. Tell her if you knew the gift of God and who is asking you. He would give you living water !!! This water symbolizes the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that every Christian receives when he is baptized. (Wisdom, knowledge, understanding, strength, counsel, godliness, and fear of God).
Water has always been and will be synonymous with life and full life !!!
Only "fell the plug" when the Master, speaks of his previous life. Then, yes, the plug falls totally and she had an "insight". This man is truly a PROPHET!
She says in verse 19, "Lord, I see that you are a prophet!"
And after this, Jesus was able to convince many people that He was truly a Prophet sent by God the Father, whose mission was to rescue mankind from the original stain.
As a Christian we must celebrate the Holy Eucharist, at least weekly, by which we receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whether in the form of a Catholic waiter or even, as some evangelicals do, in the form of consecrated bread. The sense is the same! Let us ask our Heavenly Father that He always kills our heavenly hunger and thirst, this way or even spiritually.
Holy Sunday to all !!!
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
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(1) Pauline Bible, pastoral edition, page 1.358.
(*) Author is writer in São Paulo,Brazil. Acess his Blog Bem Viver Brazil - antonibigcuore.blogspot.com ( Self-Knowledge, Spirituality and Well Living).
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