3 Sunday

rd

Cycle A
19 March 2017

Exod. 17:3-7
Rom. 5:1-2;5-8
John 4:5-42
INTRODUCTION:
We continue our Lenten
journey. Today, we have the
story of the woman at
the well where we have a
great presentation of the
dynamics of conversion and
evangelization in the Bible.
Look at how Jesus does it!
1
As the woman seeks,
she has
already been found.
The woman is a seeker as we all are.
As she comes to the well, Jesus is already
there (the primacy of grace). "It is not you
who have chosen me but I have chosen you."
(Jn. 15:16)
1
If only we would surrender
to God who is always looking
for us, we would be in the
right spiritual space.
1

The question is not how do I

find God? Rather, how do I
allow God to find me?
1
The well is evocative of
concupiscent or errant desires.
We satisfy our deepest longings
with something less than God.

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty

again but whoever drinks the water I shall give
will never thirst; the water I shall give will become
in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
( vv. 13-14)
1
The whole of spiritual life is in
these words. If you drink from
the well of power, sexual
pleasure, approval, etc. you will
thirst again. Why?
All these are good in
themselves but they either
1
Hunger or thirst is for the infinite
Good. What is the one Good that
never runs dry?
The Divine Life
which Jesus was
offering to the
woman -- all the
benefits the
2

Before grace can really

flow into our life, one will
have to clear the way.
2
A good summary of
John of the Cross'
teaching on spiritual
life is how to make a
helicopter land. The
best way is to clear
the way for it to
land. So is spiritual life
2
Jesus does this with the woman
so discreetly: "Go call your
husband" The woman
answered: "I have no husband."
Jesus answered: "You are right
in saying you have no husband.
For you have had five husbands
and the one you have now is
not your husband." (v. 16-18)
2
The woman is a
prostitute which is
why she was
drawing water at
noontime and alone
which is usually
done early in the
morning or in the
evening and
2

Notice too how Jesus did

not begin his conversation
with moral condemnation
but with an offer of grace
like Pope Francis does
2
The issue is important for Jesus
who was not indifferent to it.
Certain moral issues are
addressed that was blocking the
flow of grace in the case of the
woman. Jesus is being quite
direct in naming what is
disordered in her life was her
2

is essential
for successful
evangelization.
3
Once the offer of grace and
moral clarity is answered,
people like the woman
become interested in God and
engage in some theological
discussion.
3
Her concern was where does one
worship right?
"Our ancestors worshipped in
this mountain but you people
say that the place to worship
is in Jerusalem." (v. 20)
3
Jesus tells her: "Believe me, woman,
the hour is coming when you will
worship the Father neither in this
mountain nor in Jerusalem. . . But
the hour is coming and is now here,
when true worshippers will worship
the Father in spirit and in truth." (v.
23)
3
In Jn. 2 during the
cleansing of the
Temple, Jesus himself
declares that his body
is the Temple. Jesus is
telling the woman not
to be fussing around
on where true worship
takes place but where
right praise
3
Now, the last step in
conversion is: "The woman
left her water jar (meaning
her past way of life), and
went into the town and
said to the people, "Come
see a man who told me
everything I have done."
3

Once one is
evangelized,
he comes to tell others
as hungry and thirsty
as she where bread or
water is to be found.
CONCLUSION:

Do you want a master

class on evangelization?
Spend some
time on the story of the
woman at the well.

+ART