Third Sunday of Lent

It is to US that Jesus Entrusts Himself

Today we have by far the most famous story of Jesus’ anger, yet none of the gospel writers mention the word anger in it. They said rather that Jesus was “consumed with zeal.” Zeal sometimes wears the face of persistence. This is akin to four-year Jude who, when his mother asked him what he wanted for breakfast, replied: “Soup.” His mother explained: “Son, you know that we don’t eat soup for breakfast. We eat soup for lunch. So, what would you like for breakfast?” “Lunch,” he replied. Now that is certainly enthusiasm in pursuit of an idea!

The author of the book “Angry Like Jesus” (2015) writes “When I began to study Jesus’ anger, I was struck by the observation that every time Scripture says Jesus was angry, he’s the only one who was. Conversely, every time others were angry, Jesus was not.” Notice in today’s story that no one except Jesus was “consumed with zeal” when money changers overtook the temple.

What can we learn from this? First, we have to understand that anger is an automatic response which tells us to take care of ourselves. If we stuff our anger, and blow up later at someone who has no clue what set us off, who’d want to be friends with us? I could find nowhere in Scripture or the Rule of Benedict where anyone says: “Don’t get angry.” One of Benedict’s Tools of Good Works tells us: “Do not act in anger” and in the Prologue he cautions: “Keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; let peace be your quest and aim.” Chapter 4 has this admonition which covers a multitude of situations: “Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way.”

To understand Jesus’ anger that day, we need to get a handle on how important motivation is. It was not wrong for the merchandisers to sell animals and doves. Nor was it wrong to change money. That was helpful to the people who came unprepared to the temple.

Notice that no one stopped Jesus when he used his whip of cords. Notice, too, the Gospel writer did not say Jesus did bodily harm to anyone. He overturned tables, He spilled money and swung the whip of cords so all in his path scattered.

Then, like a child who has witnessed the fury of a disappointed parent l look up calmly and ask: “So, Mom, are we still going to McDonald’s?” The Jews overlooked Jesus angry display and asked: “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus, probably shaking his head in amazement, answered: “If you destroy this temple, which took 46 years to build, I will raise it up in three days.” They’d remember this later when Jesus was raised from the dead. They didn’t ask why Jesus cleansed the temple because they knew they were guilty of wrongdoing.

The Gospel tells us while Jesus was in Jerusalem for this Passover many began to believe in his name. But still he did not trust Himself to them. It is to us that He entrusts Himself, in Sacrament and Word. Individually and as a faith community, we are the sanctuary where Jesus has chosen to reside. When He enters the temple each day, will he find it oriented to the purpose for which God has created you and me? Or will he find cause to do some cleansing and cleaning? We pray: Jesus, cleanse us as your temple and restore us, and keep us true to the purpose for which you created us.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

First Reading: Exodus 20:1-17 Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Gospel: John 2:13-25

The most startling aspect of this famous conversation is that it happened at all. The woman herself alludes to the break from tradition: “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” What a turmoil of feelings must have muddled her mind! Here she was a Samaritan. And not only a foreigner but a WOMAN at that! Was she embarrassed, ashamed, confused, amazed, or afraid when Jesus spoke to her? Not only did Jesus converse with the woman, he also asked to share her drinking vessel, an action that makes him unclean according to Jewish law. Has he thrown caution to the wind? Is he the only person who hasn’t heard she’s known to mix with the wrong crowd? What does he mean: bring your husband? Surely, he must have heard she’s been married five times and man she’s living with now is not her husband. The thing is it doesn’t matter to Jesus. Nor does it seem to have mattered to the Evangelist John or else he wouldn’t have included this story.

This woman is like so many other female figures in the Scripture. She’s only identified by her gender, her ethnicity, and her place in society. She’s an outcast. Why would she come to the well in the heat of the day? Only one thing could explain that. She has no friends among the women who come to the well in the cool of the day.

Don’t you just love Jesus? He’s out in the hot sun. He’s thirsty. He’s pondering how to get some water out of the well. Then along comes this woman with a jug. Maybe it sparked a memory of this mom going to the well, chatting with friends and, when her bucket is full, how she’d beckoned him to help her lug the water back home.

He strikes up a conversation with the woman. Slowly, slowly he stirs her interest. To her relief he was not fresh with her – she did not feel intimidated. He offers her living water as he gently starts talking about her personal life. The two of them have the longest 1:1 conversation recorded in Scripture.

It was COOL! The woman recognizes his specialness. She thinks: “This man must be a prophet.” The high point of the conversation is when Jesus reveals himself to her as the Messiah. She abandons her jug and runs through the streets telling her story to every person she meets. She knows she does not have all the answers. She does not demand that they believe her tale. She lets her hearers arrive at their own conclusions about Jesus. And they do: “This is indeed the Savior of the world.”

For centuries after this day, this woman’s encounter story will be told and retold. This one day Jesus shared time, a conversation, and the gift of himself with another. The woman went home that day from the village well with a tale to tell.

The story offers us, I suggest, a model for hospitality and friend cultivation. As Benedict says, guests may arrive at odd hours. Take time with the guests; engage them in conversation. Notice that the woman did not just sit on the edge of the well every day waiting to see who might happen by. She may have been friendless and lonely, but she did not sit with her skirts spread prettily around her hoping some thirsty visitor would drop by. She was doing an ordinary chore, her daily chore of getting water. She may have been wary but she did not run when the stranger approached. She shared her good fortune: “Come and see” who I bumped into at the well.

Each one of us spent the first 9 months of our existence in an environment surrounded by water. Likewise, we were baptized in water and we are nourished daily by the Living Waters. This woman’s story and her encounter with Jesus show us that grace, living water, is within our reach to refresh the parched earth and its peoples.

The setting the of this Scriptural story is casual (a village well); the exchange, intimate and deep. Our lesson: we can’t sit on the front doorstep or the backyard swing and wait for guests to show up. We have to step into “scary places”. We have to venture out to the “village square at high noon”. If we offer the richness from the source of our life together, like ripples on the surface of the water in the well, one by one strangers will become friends.

Jesus tells us: “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will become a well-spring of water welling up to eternal life.” We pray: “Sir, give us of this water; that we may not be thirsty again.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

Have an enjoyable St. Patrick’s Day! Our bishop has granted a dispensation for “Fish Friday” with the stipulation that we choose another day this week to abstain from meat. Do you know why we “don’t eat meat on Fridays”?? You may quickly reply: Jesus died on a Friday. But, why refrain from meat???

Looking forward to next week when we will celebrate St. Joseph on Monday and St. Benedict on Tuesday 😊 and the Annunciation of the Lord on Saturday (the 24^th)