Restoring our Relationship with God
One of the purposes of Lent is to restore one’s relationship with God as indicated in today’s readings. In today’ Gospel we see how Jesus helps the Samaritan woman to restore her relationship with God. He invites her to make a shift in her understanding of God at four levels:
a) One needs to go beyond the visible in order to see God: As Jesus approached the Samaritan woman he asked her for water. She could see him only as a Jewish male and thus was surprised that a Jewish male was asking for water from her. She could find out that he was the Messiah only at the end of the conversation. Thus she questioned about his ability to give her living water. One ill-treats others because one fails to see God in the other. Mother Teresa says, “Nothing happens between you and me. Everything happens between me and my God.” This attitude helps us to see beyond the visible and discover God in the other.
b) One needs to go beyond one’s set boundaries in order to relate to God: The Samaritan woman was proud of being from the line of Jacob their forefather. She thought no one can be greater than their forefather. Jesus shows her the limitation of her legitimate pride. Jacob could provide water for the people and their animals. This means he could give temporary satisfaction of drinking ordinary water. One needs to go beyond one’s set boundaries of satisfying one’s physical thirst and develop a thirst for living water which Jesus is ready to give.
c) One needs to go beyond one’s spiritual life to worship God: The Samaritan woman thought it was enough to worship God in a particular place like Mount Gerizim. Jesus shows her that true worship is done in truth and spirit. It is not enough to be spiritually satisfied in worshiping God in rituals or in geographical places. One needs to go beyond the set geographical boundaries and develop a spirituality of truth (that is Jesus himself) and spirit (as opposed to material, physical and geographical understanding of God) in one’s spiritual life in order to worship God in a worthy manner.
d) One needs to go beyond one’s concept of the Messiah: The Samaritan woman was waiting for the Messiah. She did not know that the Messiah was right there in front of her speaking to her. The woman made a gradual progress in her understanding of Jesus as she uses the titles “a Jew”, “Sir”, “Prophet” and “Messiah”. God is found in ordinary and at times routine moments of our life, sometimes gradually, sometimes drastically.
What kind of shift should I make in order to restore my relationship with God in this season of Lent?
– Fr (Dr) Robert B. D’Souza
Fr. Franco Pereira, S.D.B.
