Dear friends,
In todays Gospel, Jesus says, “If only you knew what God was offering and who it is saying to you: Give me a drink, you would have been the one to ask, and he would have given you living water” and, “anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again; the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.”
2000 years later, isn’t Pope Francis saying a similar thing, “ I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realise that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms”.
Just as the Samaritan woman took a chance and really believed Jesus, whether we are 8 or 80, whether we are young or mature in our faith, we are also being asked to take a chance. I believe Pope Francis, that Jesus is waiting for us with open arms.
Lord, this lent help us to turn to you with courage. May your spring of living water, the Holy Spirit, well up inside us and our community.
John Dobner