3rd Sunday of Lent, 2023 - Fr. Leo
The sinner becomes an apostle. In this case the apostle is a woman at the well. As an outcast coming to draw water in the heat of the day, so as not to be taunted by the town’s folk, she meets Jesus who breaks all the religious rules of Judaism and engages her in conversation. Jesus seeks to save her, that she might know his saving love.
The conversation is awkward. She takes Jesus literally while Jesus is speaking of the life giving Spirit. It was not until she knew that Jesus knew her whole history, and was still reaching out to her, that she began to recognize that something super natural was going on. So convinced of her new life viewed through the eyes of Christ, she goes to those who made her an outcast and tells her story of a man who must be the messiah. After the woman’s community experienced Jesus for themselves, they too came to believe in Jesus.
The Spirit went out through Christ and entered the woman judged as sinner, after her life giving experience, she brings the same invitation of the Spirit to her community. After their own experience of Christ, they too come to be people of the Hoy Spirit. This is evangelization. We are the woman at the well. We are the people who listened to her. We are the ones called now to bring our experience of the living God to those around us.
All this depends on the working of the Holy Spirit. So for us to experience Christ and witness that gift to others, we need the gift of the Hoy Spirit in our lives. So, acknowledging our faith in Christ, let us pray constantly for the gifts of the Holy Spirit that our transformation may become a gift to others. Over and over, let us pray: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love!