Today’s Gospel, and also for the next two Sundays, presents Jesus in three longish healing conversations. John uses the creation stories of Genesis throughout his Gospel narrative.
When good things are to happen or are happening, as in today’s Gospel, it is “noon”, not a casual time-notation. Not-good events happen in the dark, at night. “Let there be light,” and there it is! The “light” is created first so that all of creation might be seen.
Jesus is the “Light”, as is the sun, to be seen and even more, so that all of creation might be seen as God sees, “good”. The sun is the source of all that lives on earth. Jesus as “Light” is the continuation of God’s creative love.
Water is also a Genesis element for life and John presents Jesus as more than an element but elementary for eternal life. This then is the play, displaying the revelation of Jesus in all of John’s Gospel. This is the first act of Jesus the Saving Light, Water, and Life, and all is to be seen within that Light, Water, and Life.
The Scene opens with Jesus thirsting and resting by a Jewish landmark, a well from the ancestors. A woman arrives by herself. Women usually come together early in the morning to fetch well-water. She comes alone, because of her chaotic life-choices, four husbands. She has been searching for life in unlawful ways. So the dramatic tension rises.
As in Genesis, God creates order or life out of disorder, chaos, and alienation. These days of Lent are times of praying, receiving, God’s prayer within and around us. The woman is searching for water, which will slake her thirst for a while. She has been thirsting for life in a disorderly way. Each of us has many thirsts, and slaking can be a style of unquenchable longings. Our Lenten reflections continue INVITING us to face our longings, our thirsts, our wantings and see if we are reaching-toward, looking-for, what true life is.
We are so separate except in our universal sense of not having enough, not being enough, not doing enough. We are preparing through Lent for the Easter rising when Jesus says, “Enoughness is creating your chaos, let there be Light and life, and the drama ends with Jesus re-exclaiming, ‘All is very good!” The woman sees herself in His Light and returns to her true self and her village as one who belongs. She is more than good enough. This is her Easter-rising.
Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ
I entered the Society of Jesus in 1960, after graduating from Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attending St. Norbert College for two years. I was ordained in 1972 after completing theological studies at the Toronto School of Theology, Regis College. I presently minister in the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Creighton and give retreats.
I enjoy sharing thoughts on the Daily Reflections. It is a chance to share with a wide variety of people in the Christian community experiences of prayer and life which have been given to me. It is a bit like being in more places than just here. We actually get out there without having to pay airlines to do it. The word of God is alive and well.
