Reflection
Today’s Gospel recounts the story of an encounter at a well between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. That they would speak to one another was highly unusual. But he did not see not a woman from a despised race but a person . He made a request: “Give me a drink”. She was astonished but strong enough to challenge him and then there followed an amazing lengthy conversation. Jesus asked her to call her husband and mentioned that she had had five husbands. The text does not tell us why. She could be a widow who married according to the custom of levirate marriage. Whatever the reason, Jesus showed that he knew her. Recognizing him as a prophet, she took the opportunity to discuss differences between Jews and Samaritans. She confidently professed her belief in the coming of the Messiah, leading Jesus to reveal his identity to her. Elated and fired with enthusiasm she became a messenger of his words. She went to tell her neighbors about the mysterious stranger, and many of them believed “on the strength of her witness.”. The woman is an example of Christian witness and discipleship and reveals the power of women preachers, and Jesus’ countercultural and nonjudgmental invitation to this woman sparked a transformative ministry to the Samaritans.
Prayer
May I not judge others on the basis of appearances and bias.
Action
Do you take the gospel seriously enough to reflect it and cause others to explore what it means? Do you judge other people on the basis of prejudice? Are you open to women as preachers of the gospel?
Suggested Reading
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”
John 4:5-42
The Gospel says that the disciples marvelled that their Master was speaking to this woman. But the Lord is greater than prejudice, which is why he was not afraid to address the Samaritan woman: mercy is greater than prejudice. We must learn this well!
Pope Francis
If you judge people you have no time to love them.
Mother Teresa
Prejudice cannot see the things that are because it is always looking for things that aren’t.
Mark Twain
Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.
Isaac Asimov
Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
Wayne W. Dyer
We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong.
Barack Obama
What the world needs most is openness: Open hearts, open doors, open eyes, open minds, open ears, open souls.
Robert Muller
Until the mind is open, the heart stays closed. The open mind is the key to the open heart.
Byron Katie
Tolerance, openness and understanding towards other peoples’ cultures, social structures, values and faiths are now essential to the very survival of an interdependent world.
Aga Khan I
I run
With the living water!
I run with the good news entrusted to me—
First witness of the Christ
Amongst us
Who broke the rules of exclusion
Who dared to speak to a woman,
Who asked a favor from such as me
Then chose me
The rejected one,
Chose me
The sinner,
Chose me
The woman to run,oh, so filled up,
With such good news.
Edwina Gately