Homily
for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Cycle A)
Based
on (Gospel), (First Reading) and (Second Reading)
From
the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
STAGNANT VERSUS LIVING WATER – THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
STORY
“A Samaritan woman came to draw water” (Jn
4:7).
The Gospel reading is from Jn 4:5-42 under the
title: “The savior of the world revealed to the
Samaritansa”. Footnote a says “Meetings
at a well are a feature of the patriarchal narratives: Gn 24:10f; 29:1f; Ex
2:15f. Wells and springs play a significant part in the life and religion of the patriarchal and Exodus
periods: Gn 26:15f; Ex 15:22-27; 17:1-7 etc. In the OT, spring water symbolizes
the life that God gives, especially that of the messianic age: Is 12:3; 55:1;
Jr 2:13; Ezk 42:1f (cf. Ps 46:4 and Zc 14:8); Ps 36:8-9 (and in the NT: Rv
7:16-17; 22:17); it symbolizes also the life imparted by divine Wisdom and by
the Law, Pr 13:14; Si 15:3; 24:23-29. This symbolism is carried further in the
gospel narrative: living (i.e. spring) water signifies the Spirit, cf. Jn
7:37-39 and 1:33+. “
Verses 5 and 6 say: On the way he came to the Samaritan town
called Sychar,c near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well is there and Jesus, tired by the journey, sat straight down by the
well. It was about the sixth hour.d Footnote c says “Either
the ancient Shechem (Sicara in Aramaic) or te present village of Askar at the
foot of Mt. Ebal about ¾ mile from ‘Jacob’s Well’. The well is not mentioned in
Gn.”; and Footnote d says “Noon”.
Parallel texts for verse 5 are:
1.
Gn 33:18-20 - Jacob
arrived safely at the town of Sechem in Canaanite territory, on his return from
Paddan-aram. He encamped opposite the town (v. 18) and for one hundred pieces
of silver he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the piece of
land on which he had pitched his tent (v. 19). Here he erected an altar which
he called, ‘El, God of Israel’ (v. 20).
2.
Gn 48:21-22 - Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I am about to
die. But God will be with you and take you back to the country of your fathers
(v. 21). As for me, I give you a Shechemg more than your brothers,
the one I took from the Amorites with my sword and the bow (v. 22).’ Footnote g
says “There is a play on the
Hebrew word shekem which means ‘shoulder’ but is also the name of the town and
district of Shechem which was to become the property of the sons of Joseph
where Joseph himself was to be buried, Jos 24:32. Jacob parcels out the Holy Land
just as a paterfamilias, or the presiding personage, assigns the portions in a
sacrificial banquet, 1 S 9:23-24. This is an isolated piece of tradition
dealing with Jacob’s apportionment of Canaan and an armed conquest of Shechem
where, according to 33:19, Jacob had done no more than to buy a field.”
3.
Jos 24:32 - The bones
of Joseph, which the sons of Israel had brought from Egypt, were buried at
Shechem in the portion of ground that Jacob had brought for a hundred pieces of
money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, which had become the
inheritance of the sons of Joseph.
Verses 7 and 8 say: When a Samaritan woman came to draw water,
Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink”.
His disciples had gone into the town
to buy food.
Parallel text is Jn 19:28 that says: After
this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfill the
scripture perfectly he said: ‘I am thirsty’.
Verse 9 says: The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a
Samaritan, for a drink?’ Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritanse.
Footnote e says “Some authorities omit this parenthesis. The
Jews hated the Samaritans, Si 50:25-26; Jn 8:48; Lk 9:52-55, cf. Mt 10:5, Lk
10:33; 17:16, and attributed their origin to the importation of five pagan
groups, 2 K 17:24-41, who retained some of their loyalty to their old gods,
these are symbolized by the ‘five husbands of v. 18.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Lk 10:29-37 - But the man was anxious to justify himselfg
and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor(v. 29)?Jesus replied, ‘A man was
once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of
brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead
(v. 30).Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he
saw the man, he passed by on the other side (v. 31).In the same way a Levite
who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side (v. 32).But a
Samaritanh traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion when
he saw him (v. 33).He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on
them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked
after him (v. 34).Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the
innkeeper. ‘Look after him’, he said ‘and on my way back I will make good any
extra expense you have (v. 35).’Which of these three, do you think, proved
himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the brigands’ hands (v. 36)? The
one who took pity of him’ he replied, Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same
yourself’ (v. 37). Footnote g
says “For having out the question.”;
and Footnote h says “An alien and a heretic, Jn 8:48; cf. Lk 9:53+, from whom one might
expect hostility, as opposed to those of Israel who should have been most
sensitive to the demands of charity.
2.
Lk 17:11-19 - Now on the
way to Jerusalem, he traveled along the border between Samaria and Galileec
(v. 11). As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They
stood some way off (v. 12). and called to him, “Jesus, Master! Take pity on
us!” (v. 13). When he saw them he said, “Go and show yourselves to the
priests.” Now as they were going away they were cleansed (v. 14). Finding
himself cured, returned, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice (v.
15);and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a
Samaritan (v. 16). This made Jesus say, “Were not all ten
made clean, were they not? The
other nine where are they (v. 17)?It
seems no one has come back to give praise
to God except this foreigner (v. 18).”And he said to the man, ‘Stand up
and go on your way; Your faith has saved you (v. 19).’
Footnote c
Verses 10 and 11 say: Jesus replied:
‘If you only knew what God is offering and who it is that is saying to you:
Give me a drink, you would have been the one to ask, and he would have given
you living water’.
‘You have no bucket, sir’, she answered
‘and the well is deep: how could you get this living water?
Parallel texts for verse 10 are:
1.
Jn 3:16 - Yes, God loved
the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in
him might not be lost but may have eternal life.
2.
Ac 8:20 - Peter answered, ‘May your silver be lost forever, and you with it,
for thinking that money could buy what God has given for nothing!g Footnote g says
“The Holy Spirit is supremely the gift of
God, cf. 2:38; 10:45; 11:17; Lk 11:9,13; the idea recurs in the Veni Creator.”
3.
Jn 6:35 - Jesus answered: ‘I ami the bread of life. He who comes
to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.j Footnote i says “The
Greek phrase ego eimi recalls the name
that God revealed to Moses, Ex 3:14+, cf. Jn 8:24+, but here (and frequently
elsewhere) it also forms the prelude to the explanation of a parable. In this
case the parable is not in words but in action: the gift of the manna and the
multiplication of the loaves are explained as parables of Christ’s gift of
himself, the true bread.”; and Footnote j says “As
Wisdom invites man to her table, Pr. 9:1f, so does Jesus. Jn sees him as the
Wisdom of God which, in the OT revelation, was already moving towards personification,
cf. 1:1+. This perception springs from Christ’s own teaching already recorded
in the Synoptics, Mt 11:19; Lk 11:31p, but given here much more clearly by Jn.
Tus, Christ’s origin is mysterious, Jn 7:27-29; 8:14,19; cf. Jb 28:20-28; he
alone knows the secrets of God and reveals them to man, 3:11-12,31-32; cf. Mt
11:25-27p; Ws 9:13-18; Ba 3:29-38; he is the living bread that supremely
satisfies, 6:35; cf. Pr 9:1-6; Si 24:19-22, if men will only come to him,
3:20,21; 5:40; 6:35,37,44,65; 7:37; cf. Pr 9:4-5; Si 24:19; Mt 11:28; but they
must seek him before it is too late, 7:34; 8:21; cf. Pr 1:28. Cf. also Is.
55:1-3. For Paul’s teaching, cf. 1 Co 1:24+.”
Verse 13 says: Are you a greater man
than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself with his
sons and his cattle?’
Parallel text is Si 24:21that says: They who eat me will hunger for more, they who drink me
will thirst for more.
Verse 14 says: but anyone who drinks
the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I will
give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life’
Parallel texts are:
1.
Jn 7:37-39 - On the last day and greatest day of the
festival,o Jesus stood there and cried out: ‘If any man is thirsty,
let him come to me!p Let the man come and drink (v. 37) who believes
in me!’ As scriptures says: From his breastq shall flow fountains of
living waterr(v. 38).He is speaking of the Spirit which those who
believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yets
because Jesus has not yet been glorified (v. 39). Footnote o says “The day, the 7th or perhaps the 8th, celebrating
the end of the festival”; Footnote
p says “Om
‘to me’. Christ’s invitation resembles that of Divine Wisdom, cf. 6:35+.”; Footnote q says “From
Jesus himself, according to the oldest tradition, though another has joined
‘the man who believes in me’ with what follows, making ‘streams’ flow from the
believer.”; Footnote r says “The
liturgy of the feast of Tabernacle, which formed the background of this words,
included prayers for rain, rites which commemorated the Mosaic water-miracle,
Ex. 17:1-7; cf. 1 Co. 10:4; and readings from biblical passages foretelling
life-giving waters from Zion, Zac. 14:8; Ezk. 47:1f; Cf. Jn 4:1+.”;
and Footnotes says “Var.
‘the Spirit had not yet been given.’”
2. Ps
36:9 - Yes, with
you is the fountain of life,f by your light we see the light.g Footnote f says “‘life’ means prosperity, peace, happiness, cf. 133:3. The ‘fountain of
life’ in Pr is wisdom, Pr 13:14; 16:22; 18:4, and the fear of God, 14:27. This
passage is applied to Christ, the life and light of men, cf. Jn passim.”;
and Footnote g says “The ‘light of the face’ of God, 27:1; 89:15;
Jb29:3, is his benevolence, cf. 4:6+; in it man finds the ‘light’ of happiness.”
3.
Is 58:11- Yahweh will
always guide you, giving you relief in desert places. He will give you strength
to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water
whose waters never run dry.
Verses 15 and 16 say: ‘Sir,’ said the
woman ‘give me some of the water, so that I may never get thirsty and never
have to come here again to draw water.’ ‘Go and call your husband’ said Jesus
to her ‘and come back here’.
Parallel texts for verse 15 are:
1.
Jn 2:19+ - They did this;
the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where
it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew- the steward
called the bridegroom.
2.
Jn 6:34 - ‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us this bread
always.’
Verse 17 says: The woman answered ‘I have
no husband’. He said to her, ‘You are right to say, “I have no husband”;
Parallel text is Jn 1:48 that says: ‘How do you know
me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you
under the fig tree.’ee Footnote ee says “Christ’s supernatural knowledge of men and
things is one of the features of Jn’s portrait of him, cf. 2:24f; 4:17-19,29;
6:61,64,71; 13:1,11,27,28; 16:19,30; 18:4; 21:17.”
Verse 18 says: For
although you have had five, the one you have now is not your husband. You spoke
the truth there.
Footnote
Parallel text is Lk 7:39 that says: When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he
said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is
that is touching him and what a bad name she has’.
Verse 19 says: ‘I see you are a
prophet, sir’ said the woman.
Parallel text is Mt 16:14 that says: And they
said, “Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one
of the prophets.
Verses 20 and 21 say: Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,f
while you say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’g Jesus said: ‘Believe me, woman, the hour is
coming when you will worship the Father neither in this mountain nor in
Jerusalem. Footnote f says “i.e. Gerizim: on this mountain the
Samaritans had built a rival to the Jerusalem Temple; it was destroyed by John
Hyrcanus in 129 BC.”; and Footnote g says “Lit. ‘one ought to worship in Jerusalem’. Var. ‘the place (or: house)
in which one ought to worship is in Jerusalem’.
Parallel text is Dt 12:5 that says:
You must seek Yahweh your God only in the place he himself will choose from
among all your tribes, to set his name there and give it a home.
Verse 22 says: You worship what you do
not know; we worship what we do not know; for salvation comes from the Jews.
Parallel texts are:
1.
2 K 17:27-33 - So the king of Assyria gave this order: ‘Send
back one of the priests whom I deported from there; let him gon and
live there and teach them how to worship the god of the country’ (v. 27).
Accordingly, one of the priests they had deported from Samaria came to live in
Bethel; he taught them how to worship Yahweh (v. 28). Each national group mad
idols representing its own gods and put them in the temples of the high places
made by the Samaritans; each national group did this in the towns allocated to
it (v. 29). The men of Babylon had made a Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuthah a
Nergal, the men of Hamath an Ashima (v. 30), the Avvites a Nibhaz and a Tartak;
while the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire in honor of Adrammelech
and of Anammelech, gods of Sepharvaim (v. 31). They worshipped Yahweh as well,
and they appointed priests out of their own number for the high places who
officiated for them in the temples of the high places (v. 32). They worshipped
Yahweh and served their own gods at the same time, with the rites of the
countries from which they had been deported. Footnote
n says “‘I deported from there’ Targ. ‘let him go’
versions.”
2.
Is 2:3…peoples without number will come to it; and
they will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the Temple of
the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his
paths; since the Law will go out of Zion, and the oracle of Yahwehc
from Jerusalem.’ Footnote c says “The
reference, it seems, is not simply to the Mosaic Law and to some oracular
instrument like the ancient ephod, 1 S 2:28+, but to an individual, a prophet
preaching the doctrine of Yahweh”.
3. Rm
9:4-5 - They were
adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the
ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them (v. 4). They
descended from the patriarchs, and from their flesh and blood came Christ who
is above all, God forever blessed.d Amen. (v. 5). Footnote d says “Both the context and the internal
development of the sentence imply that this doxology is addressed to Christ,
Paul rarely gives Jesus the title ‘God’ though, cfTt 2:13, or addresses a
doxology to him, cf. Heb 13:21, but this is because he usually keeps this title
to the Father, cf Rm 15:6, etc., and considers the divine persons not so much
with an abstract appreciation of their nature as with a concrete appreciation
of their functions in the process of salvation. Moreover, he has always in mind
the the historical Christ in his concrete reality as God mad man, cfPh 2:5+;
Col 1:15+. For this reason he presents Christ as subordinated to the Father, 1
Co 3:23; 11:3, not only in the work of creation, 1 Co 8:6, but also in that of
eschatological renewal, 1 Co 15:27f; cf Rm 16:27, etc. Nevertheless, the title
“lord’, Kyrios, received by Christ at his resurrection, Ph 2:9-11; cfEp
1:20-22; Heb 1:3f, is the title given by the LXX to Yahweh in the OT., Rm
10:9,13; 1 Co 2:16. For Paul, Jesus is essentially the ‘Son of God’, Rm
1:3-4,9; 5:10; 8:29; 1 Co 1:9; 15:28; 2 Co 1:19; Ga 1:16; 2:20; 4:4,6; Ep 4:13;
1 Th 1:10; cfHeb 4:14, etc., his ‘own Son’, Rm 8:3,32, ‘the Son of his love’,
Col 1:13, who belongs to the sphere of the divine by right, the sphere from which he came, 1 Co
15:47, being sent by God, Rm 8:3; Ga 4:4. The title ‘Son of God’ became his in
a new way with the resurrection, Rm 1:4+; cfHeb 1:5; 5:5, but it was not then
that he received it since he pre-existed not
only as prefigured in the OT., 1 Co 10:4, but ontologically, Ph 2:6; cf
2 Co 8:9. He is the Wisdom, 1 Co 1:24,30, and the Image, 2 Co 4:4, by which and
in which all things were created, Col 1:15-17; cfHeb 1:3; 1 Co 8:6, and have
been re-created, Rm 8:29; cf. Col 3:10; 1:18-20, because into his own person is
gathered the fullness of the godhead and of the universe, Col 2:9+. In him Gd
has devised the whole plan of salvation, Ep 1:3f, and he, no less than the
Father, is its accomplishment (cf. Rm 11:36; 1 Co 8:6 and Col 1:16,20). The
Father raises to life and judges, so does the Son raise to life (cf Rm 1:4;
8:11+ and Ph 3:21) and judge (cf. Rm 2:16 and 1 Co 4:5; Rm 14:10 and 2 Co
5:10). In short, he is one of the three persons enumerated in the Trinitarian
formulae, 2 Co 13:13+.
Verses 23 and 24 say: But
the hour will come – in fact it is here already – when true worshippers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth:h that is the kind of
worshipper the Father wants. God is spirit, and those who worship must worshipi
in spirit and truth.’ Footnote h
says “The Spirit, 14:26+, who
makes a new creature of man.”; and Footnote i says “Var.
‘those who worship him’, cf. 12:20.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Jn 2:21+ - But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, j Footnote j says “One
of the great Johannine symbols, cf. Rev. 21:22. Cf. Paul, 1 Co. 12:12+. The
body of the risen Christ is to be the focus of worship in spirit and truth,
4:21f, the shrine of the presence, 1:14, the spiritual temple from which living
waters flow, 7:37-39, 19:34.”
2.
Jn 17:19 - Consecratem them in the truth; your word is truth. Footnote m says “The
verb means literally: to set aside for, dedicate to, God; to ‘sanctify’ (in the
original sense of the word), cf. Ac 9:13+.”
Verse 25 says: The woman
said to him, ‘I know that Messiah – that is, Christ – is coming; and when he
comes he will tell us everything’.
Parallel text is Dt 18:18-22 that says: I will raise up
a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers;cI will put
my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him (v. 18). The
man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held
answerable to me for it (v. 19). But the prophet who presumes to say in my name
a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speak in the name of other gods,
that prophet shall die (v. 20). You may say in your heart, “How are we to know
what word was not spoken by Yahweh?’d (v. 21) When a prophet speaks
in the name of Yahweh and the thing does not happen and the word is not
fulfilled then it has not been spoken by Yahweh. The prophet has spoken with
presumption. You have nothing to fear from him (v. 22). Footnote c
says “Institution of the prophetic (as 17:14-20 is of the royal) office. It
is ascribed by Moses to Yahweh at the time of the manifestation at Horeb, cd.
Ex. 20:19-21 and Dt. 5:23-28. In N.T., St. Peter, Ac. 3:22-26, and St. Stephen,
Ac. 7:37, refer to this text. The Jewish expectation of a Messiah-Prophet, a
second Moses, is based on this passage. St. John’s gospel emphasizes the
parallels between Jesus and Moses, cf. Jn. 1:17+.”; and Footnote d
says “Distinction between true and false prophet was urgent problem (1 K 22;
Jr 28). Two criteria are offered: loyalty to the religion of Israel, cf. Dt 13,
and fulfillment of the prediction, 18:22. See Introduction to the Prophets”.
Verse 26 says: ‘I who am
speaking to you,’ said Jesus ‘I am he.’
Parallel text is Jn 9:37 that says:
Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’
Verses 27-33 say: At this point his disciples returned, and were surprised to find him
speaking to a woman, though none of them asked, “What do you want from her?” or
“Why are you talking to her?”
The woman put down her water jar and hurried backj to
the town to tell the people, ‘Come and see the man who has told me everything I
ever did; I wonder if he is the Christ?’ This brought people out of the town
and they started walking towards him. Meanwhile, the disciples were arguing
him, ‘Rabbi, do have something to eat’;
But he said, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about’. So the
disciples asked one another, ‘Has someone been bringing him food?’ Footnote j
says “Var. ‘went off’.”
Parallel text of verse 27 is Jn
21:12 that says: Jesus
said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast’. None of the disciples was bold enough
to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord.
Verse 34 says: But Jesus
said: ‘My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his
work.
Footnote
Parallel texts for verse 34 are:
1.
Jn 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word:a the Word was with God
and the Word was God. Footnote a says “The
O.T. speaks of the Word of God, and of his wisdom, present with God before the
world was made, cf. Pr. 8:22+; Ws. 7:22+, by it all things were created, it is
sent to earth to reveal the hidden designs of God; it returns to him with its
work done, Is. 58:10-11, Pr. 8:22-36, Si. 24:3-22, Ws. 9:9-12. On its creature role, cf. also Gn. 1:3,6
etc.: Is 40:8,26, 44:24-28; 48:13, Ps. 33:6, Jdt. 16:14, Si.42:15; on its
mission, cf. Ws. 18:14-16, Ps.107:20; 147:15-18. For John, too, 13:3, 16:28, the Word existed
before the world in God, 1:1-2, 8:24+, 10:30+. It has come on earth, 1:9-14,
3:19, 12:46, cf. Mk 1:38+, being sent by the Father; 3:17,34,5:36, 43, 6:29,
7:29, 8:42, 9:7, 10:36, 11:42, 17:3,25,cf. Lk 4:43, to perform a task, 4:34+,
namely, to deliver 3:11+, 8:21, 12:35, 13:3, 16:5, 17:11, 13, 20:17. The incarnation enabled the N.T. and
especially John, to see this separately and eternally existent Word-Wisdom as a
person.”
2.
Jn 5:30 - I can do nothing by myself; I can only judge as I am told to
judge,j and my judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own
will, but the will of him who sent me. Footnote
j says “Lit. ‘as I hear’. It is the Father whom
Jesus ‘hears’.”
3.
Jn 6:38-40 -‘…because I
have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who
sent me (v. 38). Now the will of whom who sent me I that I should raise it up
on the last day (v. 39). Yes, it the Father’s will that whoever seeks the Son
and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on
the last day (v. 40).’
4.
Jn 17:4 - I have glorified
you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do.
5.
Jn 19:30 - After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’;n
and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.o Footnote n says “I.e.
the Father’s work as foretold by the scriptures: the salvation of the world
through the sacrifice of Christ. Jn does not record the desolate cry of Mt
27:46 and Mk 15:34: it is the calm majesty of Christ’s death that he wishes to
emphasize. Cf. Lk 23:46; Jn 12:27+.”; Footnote o says “The last breath of Jesus is a token of the
outpouring of the Spirit, 1:33+; 20:22.”
6.
Mt 26:39 - And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My
Father,’ he said ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let
it be as you, not I, would have it’n (v. 39).
Footnote n says “Jesus
feels the full ‘force of the human fear of death; he feels the instinctive urge
to escape, gives expression to it and then stifles it by his acceptance of the
Father’s will.”
Verse 35 says: Have you not got a saying: Four months and then the harvest? Well, I
tell you: Look around you, look at the fields; already they are white, ready
for harvest!k Already… Footnote k says “A
harvest of souls: the Samaritans who are coming to Jesus, v. 30, are its
first-fruits.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Mt 9:37-38 - Then he
said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the laborers are few (v. 37),
so ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to his harvest’ (v. 38).
2. Lk
10:2 - He said to
them,c ‘The harvest is rich
but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to
his harvest. Footnote c says “The collection used by Mt and Lk included a
missionary discourse parallel with that of Mk 6:8-11. Lk has made use of both
these sources, but separately (9:3-5; 10:2-12), whereas Mt has joined them
together 10:7-16. Cf. Lk 11:39+; 17:22+.”
3.
Rv 14:15 - I heard a sound
coming out of the sky like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it
seemed to be the sound of harpists playing the harp.
Verses 36 and 37 say: The reaper is
being paid its wages, already he is bringing in the grain for eternal life, and
thus sower and reaper rejoice together. For here the proverbs holds good: one
sows, another reaps;
Parallel text for verse 36 is Ps
126:5-6 that says: Those who went sowing in tears
now sing as they reap (v. 5). They went
away, went away weeping, carrying the seed; they come back, come back singing,
carrying the sheaves (v. 6).
Verses 38-41 say: I sent you to reap a harvest you have not worked for. Others worked for
it; and you have come into the rewards of your trouble.’l Many
Samaritans of that town had believed in him on the strength of the woman’s
testimony when she said, ‘He told me all I have ever done’, so, when the
Samaritans came up to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed for two
days, and when he spoke to them many more came to believe…
Footnote l says “The reapers are the apostles, the sowers
those who have labored before them,
especially Jesus.”
Parallel texts for verse 38 are:
1.
Jn 17:18 - As you sent me
into the world, I have sent them into the world…
2.
Jn 20:21 - And he said to
them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.
3.
Ac 8:14-17 - When the
apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they
sent Peter and John to them (v. 14), and they went down there, and prayed for
the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit (v. 15), for as yet he had not come
down on any of them: they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus
(v. 16). Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (v.
17).
Verse 42 says: and they said to the woman, ‘Now we no
longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we
know that he really is the savior of the world.m Footnote m
says “Not merely ‘King of Israel’
as in 1:49. This world perspective is typical of John, cf. 1:29; 3:16;
11:52; 1Jn 2:2. Nevertheless, ‘salvation
comes from the Jews’, 4:22.”
Parallel texts are:
1. Jn
1:9-10+, 29 - The Word
was the true light that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world.f
He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not
know him (v. 10).g The next
day, seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lambw
of God that takes away the sins of the world (v. 29). Footnote f says “Other possible translations ‘The true light, that which enlightens
every man, was coming into the world’, or ‘He (the Word) was the true light
that enlightens every man who comes into the world’.”; Footnote g
says “The ‘world’ variously means: the
cosmos or this earth, the human race, those hostile to God who hate Christ and
his disciples, cf. 7:7; 15:18,19; 17:14. This last sense coincides with the
contemporary Jewish distinction between ‘this world’, 8:23 and passim,
dominated by Satan, 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1 Jn 5:19; and ‘the world to come’
which possibly corresponds to John’s ‘eternal life’, 12:25. The disciples are
to remain in this world for the present, though not of it, 17:11,14f.”; and
Footnote w says “One
of the most significant of John’s symbols of Christ, cf. Rv. 5:6, 12, etc. It blends the idea of the
‘servant’ (Is. 53), who takes on himself the sins of men and offers himself as
a ‘lamb of expiation’ (v. 14), with that of the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:1+; cf.
Jn. 19:36) whose ritual symbolizes Israel’s redemption, Cf. Ac. 8:31-35; 1 Co.
5:7; 1 P. 18-20.”
2.
Jn 3:17 - For God sent his
Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world
might be saved.
3.
Jn 11:52…and not for the
nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God.
4.
1 Jn 2:2…he is the
sacrifice that takes our sins away, and not only ours, but the whole world’s.
5.
1 Jn 4:15 - If anyone
acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.
The First Reading is from Ex 17:3-7.
Verse 3 says: But tormented by thirst, the people complained
against Moses. ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt?’ they said. ‘Was it so that
I should die of thirst, my children too, and my cattle?’
Parallel texts are:
1.
Dt 6:16 - Do not put Yahweh
your God to the test as you tested him at Massah.
2.
Ws 11:6 - You gave them not
that ever-flowing source of river water turbid with defiling floods…
3.
Ezk 23:27 - I mean to
put an end to your debauchery and to the whorings you began in Egypt; you will
not look to the Egyptians anymore; you will never think of them again.
Verses 4 and 5 say: Moses appealed to
Yahweh ‘How am I to deal with this people?’ he said. ‘A little more and they
will stone me!’ Yahweh said to Moses: ‘Take with you some of the elders of
Israel and move on the forefront of the people; take in your hand the staff
with which you struck the river, and go.
Parallel text for verse 4 is Nb
14:10 that say: The entire community was talking of
stoning them, when the glory of Yahweh appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all
the sons of Israel.
Verse
6 says: I shall be
standing before you there on the rock at Horeb.c You must strike the
rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink. This is what
Moses did in the sight of the elders of Israel. Footnote c
says “‘at
Horeb’ evidently a reader’s gloss. In the opinion of certain rabbis the rock
followed the Israelites in their wanderings. Cf. 1 Co 10:4. On the term ‘Rock’
indicating God, see Ps 18:2+.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
1 Co 10:4 - And all drankc the same spiritual drink, since they all
drank from the spiritual rock that followed them as they went,d and
that rock was Christ. Footnote c says “Passing
through the Red Sea in v.2 suggests
Christian baptism; here manna and water from the rock suggest the
Eucharist, Christians took the description in Ex of the liberation from Egypt
as a symbol of liberation from sin by Christ, who is symbolized by implied by
Jesus when he linked his Eucharist to the Passover-supper, cf. Mt 26:17-29p; 1
Co 5:7. This accounts for the many Exodus references in the Easter liturgy.”;
and Footnote d says “Allusion to the legend that the rock from
which Moses made water flow accompanied the Israelites on their travels through
the wilderness. Jewish writers had already tended to identify this rock with Yahweh
himself, and had supported this identification with reference to Ex 17:6, and
to the OT use of ‘Rock of Israel’ as a title for Yahweh, cf Ps 18:2+. Paul
credits the pre-existent Christ with the attributes of Yahweh.”
2.
Jn 7:38 - I sent you to reap a harvest you have not worked for. Others
worked for it; and you have come into the rewards of your trouble.’l Footnote l says “The reapers are the apostles, the sowers those who have labored before them, especially Jesus”
3.
Jn19:34 - one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately
there came out blood and water.r Footnote r says “Var. ‘water and blood’. The significance of
the incident is brought out by two texts of scripture (vv. 36f). The blood
shows that the lamb has truly been sacrificed for the salvation of the world, 6:51; the water, symbol of the
spirit, shows that the sacrifice is real source of grace. Many of the Fathers,
not without good reason, interpreted the water and blood as symbols of baptism
and the Eucharist and these two sacraments as signifying the Church which is
born like a second Eve from the side of another Adam, cf. Ep 5:23-32.”
Verse 7 says: The place was named Massah and Meribahd
because of the grumbling of the sons of Israel and because they put Yahweh to
the test by saying, ‘Is Yahweh with us, or not?’ Footnote d says “Massah: trial; Meribah: contention.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Nb 20:24 - Aaron must be
gathered to his people: he is not to enter the land that I am giving to the
sons of Israel, sine you disobeyed my order at the waters of Meribah.
2.
Dt 6:16 - Do not put Yahweh
your God to the test as you tested him at Massah.
3.
Dt 9:22 - At Taberah too
and at Massah and Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked Yahweh.
4.
Dt 32:51 - Because you broke
faith with me among the sons of Israel that time at Meribath-kadesh in the
wilderness of Zin, because you did not display my holiness among the sons of Israel.
5.
Ps 78:15-16…splitting rocks
in the wilderness, quenching their thirst with unlimited water (v. 15),
conjuring streams from the rock and bringing down water in torrents.
6.
Ps 95:8-9 - Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as you did that day at
Massah in the wilderness,c(v. 8) when your ancestors challenged me,
tested me, although they had seen what I could do (v. 9). Footnote c says “Meribah means ‘dispute’, Massah ‘temptation’”.
7.
Ps 105:41 - He opened
the rock, the waters gushed to flow through the desert like a river.
8.
Ps 106:32 - They
enraged him at the waters of Meribah; as a result, things went wrong for Moses…
9.
Ws 11:4 - On youb they calledc when they were thirsty,
and from the rocky cliff water was given them, from hard stone their thirst was
quenched. Footnote b says “God. Henceforth, Wisdom is not mentioned
(except in 14:2,5), yielding place to God, to his breath (or spirit), 11:20;
12:1, to his word, 12:9; 16:12; 18:15, to his hand, 11:17; 14:6; 16:15; 19:8,
to his arm, 11:21; 16:16.”; and Footnote c
says “The author does not mention
the ‘grumbling’ of the people, cf. 10:15+. In the biblical narrative, it is
either Moses or Aaron who calls on Yahweh.”
10. Is
43:20 - The wild
beasts will honor me, jackals and ostriches, because I am putting water in the wildernessi (rivers
in the wild) to give my chosen people drink. Footnote
i says “The Syrian desert which must be crossed by
those returning from Babylon.”
The Second Reading is from Rm 5:1-2,5-8.
Verse 1 and 2 say: So far we have seen that, through our Lord Jesus Christ by faith, we
are judged righteous and at peaceb
with God, since it is by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this
state of gracec in which we can boast about looking forward to God’s
glory.d Footnote b – Var. ‘let us be at peace.’. Footnote c
says “Lit. ‘we have access to this grace
(i.e. the enjoyment of God’s friendship) in which we stand’.”; and Footnote
d says “Lit. ‘about the hope
of the glory of God’. For a Christian to hope is to be confident that he will
get the eschatological gifts: the resurrection of the body, Rm 8:18-23; 1 TH
4:12f; cf. Ac 2:26; 23-6; 24-15; 26:6-8;
28-20, the rich inheritance of the saints, Ep 1:18; cf. Heb 6:11f; 1 P 1:3f,
eternal life, Tt 1:2; cf. 1 Co 15:19. Through it means primarily this virtue of
expectation, ‘hope’ is used sometimes for the for the expected gifts
themselves, Ga 5:5; Col 1:5; Tt 2:13; Heb 6:18. Of old, this hope was given to Israel,
Ep 1:11-12; cf. Jn 5:45; Rm 4:18, and not to the pagans, Ep 2:12; cf. 1 Th
4:13; but it was step towards a higher hope, Heb 7:19, offered now to pagan
world also Ep 1:18; Col 1:27; cf. Mt 12:21; Rm 15:12, through the ‘mystery’ of
Christ, Rm 16:25+. The basis of this hope is God himself, 1 Tm 5:5; 6:17; 1 P
1:21; 3:5, his love, 2 Th 2:16, his invitation, 1 P 1:14-15; cf. Ep 1:18; 4:4,
with the power, Rm 4:17-21, truthfulness, Tt 1:2;Heb 6:18, fidelity, Heb 10:23,
in implementing the promises declared in the written word, Rm 15:4, and in the
gospel message, Col 1:23, promises fulfilled in Christ’s person, 1 Tm 1:1; 1 P
1:3,21. The hope is therefore not illusory, Rm 5:5. Since the gifts it expects
are in future, Rm 8:24; Heb 11:1, faith is its prop, Rm 4:18; 5:1f; 15:13; 1 Co
13:7; hope and faith and charity, the three theological virtues, are closely
allied, 1 Co 3:13+. Hope’s excelling source is Holy Spirit, Ga 5:5, greatest of
all the eschatological gifts and in part already conferred, Rm 5:5+ : Ac 1:8+;
this enlightens, Ep 1:17f, and strengthens hope, Rm 15:13, and inspires its
prayer, Rm 8:25-27, effecting the unity of the Body, for this hope is common,
Ep 4:4. And because hope is built on justification through faith in Christ, Rm
5:1f; Cf. Ga 5:5, it is rich in confidence, 2 Co 3:12; Heb 3:6, consolation, 2
Th 2:16; Heb 6:18, joy, Rm 12:12; 15:13; 1 Th 2:19, and is a thing proud of, Rm
5:2; 1 Th 2:19; Heb 3:6; the sufferings of this present time cannot dismay it,
these cannot compare with the glory to come, Rm 8:18; on the contrary they
sustain it, giving it a constancy, Rm 8:25; 12:12; 15:4; 1 Th 1:3; cf. 1 Co
13:7, that test, Rm 5:4, and fortifies it, 2 Co 1:7.
Parallel texts for verse 1 are:
1.
Jn 14:27 - Peaces I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a
peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be
troubled or afraid. Footnote s says “The
customary Jewish greeting and farewell, cf. Lk. 10:5p; it means soundness of
body but came to be used of the perfect
happiness and the deliverance which the Messiah would bring. All this Jesus
gives.”
2. Ep
3:12 - That is why we are bold enough to approach God
in complete confidence, through our faith in him…
Verse 5 says: And this hope is
not deceptive, because the love of Gode has been poured into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which had been given us.f Footnote e says “God’s love for us; of this the Holy Spirit
is a pledge and to this, by his active presence within us, he bears witness,
cf. 8:15 and Ga. 4:6. Through him we stand before God as sons before their
father; the love is mutual. This text therefore, in the light of its parallel
passages, asserts that the Christian shares in the life of the Trinity through
‘sanctifying grace’.”; and Footnote f says
“The promised Spirit, Ep 1;13, cf. Ga
3:14; Ac 2:33+, distinctive of the new covenant as contrasted with the old, Rm
2:29; 7:6; 2 Co 3:6; cf. Ga 3:3; 4:29; Ezk 36:27+, is not merely exhibition of
healing or charismatic power, Ac 1:8+; is also, and especially, an inward
principle of new life, a principle that God ‘gives’, 1 Th 4:8, etc., cf. Lk
11:13; Jn 3:34; 14:16f; Ac 1:5; 2:38 etc.; 1 Jn 3:24, ‘sends’, Ga 4:6; cf. Lk
24:49; Jn 14:26; 1 P 1:12, ‘supplies’, Ga 3:5; Ph 1:19, ‘pours out’, Rm 5:5; Tt
3:5f; cf. Ac 2:33. Received into the Christian by faith, Ga 3:2,14;cf. Jn
7:38f; Ac 11:17, and baptism, 1 Co 6:11; Tt 3:5; cf. Jn 3:5; Ac 2:38; 19:2-6,
It dwells within him, Rm 8:9; 1 Co 3:16; 2 Tm 1:14; cf. Jm 4:5, in his spirit,
Rm 8:16; cf. the Spirit of Christ, Rm 8:9; Ph 1:19; Ga 4:6; cf. 2 Co 3:17; Ac
16:7; Jn 14;26; 15:26; 16:7, 14; makes the Christian a son of God, Rm 8;14-16;
Ga 4:6f, and establishes Christ in his heart, Ep 3:16. For the Christian (as
for Christ himself, Rm 1:4+) this Spirit is a principle of resurrection, Rm
8:11+, in virtue of as eschatological gift which even in life signs him as with
a seal, 2 Co 1:22; Ep 1:13; 4:30, and which is present within him by way of
pledge, 2 Co 1:22; 5:5; Ep 1:14, and of first-fruits, Rm 8:23. It takes the
place of the evil principle in man that is ‘the flesh’. Rm 7:5+, and becomes a
principle of faith, 1 Co 12:3; 2 Co 4:13; cf. 1 Jn 4:2f, of supernatural
knowledge, 1 Co 2:10-16; 7:40; 12:8f; 14:2f; Ep 1:17; 3:16, 18; Col 1:9; cf. Jn
14:26+, of love, Rm. 5:5, 15:30, Col. 1:8, of sanctification, Rm 15:16, 1 Co.
6:11, 2 Th .2:13, cf. 1P 1:2, of moral conduct, Rm 8:4-9, 13; Ga. 3:16-25, of
apostolic courage, Ph. 1:19; 2 Tim 1:7f; cf. Ac 1:8+, of hope, Rm 15:13, Ga.
5:5, Ep. 4:4, of prayer. Rm. 8:26f,cf. Jm 4:35; Jude 20. The Spirit must not be quenched, 1 Th. 5:19,
or grieved, Ep. 4:30. It unites man with
Christ, 1 Co 6:17, and thus secures the unity of his Body, 1 Co. 12:3, Ep.
2:16,18, 4:4.”
Parallel text for verse 5 is 1 Co
13:13 that says: In
short,e there are three things that last: f faith, hope
and love; and the greatest of these is love. Footnote e says “Or
‘Meanwhile.’”; and Footnote f
says “Or ‘In short, then, we are
left with these three things.’ This association of the three theological
virtues, which is found earlier in 1 Th 1:3 and which was probably in use
before Paul’s time, recurs frequently in his letters, though the order varies:
1 Th 5:8; 1 Co 13:7,13; Ga 5:5f; Rm 5:1-5; 12:6-12; Col 1:4-5; Ep 1:15-18;
4:2-5; 1 Tm 5:11; Tt 2:2; CfHeb 6:10-12;
10:22-24; 1 P 1:3-9,21f. Faith and charity are associated in 1 Th 3:6; 2 Th 1:3; Phm 5; faith and
fortitude in 2 Th 1:4, love and fortitude in 2 Th 3:5, Cf. 2 Co 13:13”
Verse 6 says: We were still helpless when at his appointed
moment Christ died for sinful men.
Parallel texts are:
1. Rm
8:14-16 - Everyone
movedh by the spirit is a son of God (v. 14). The spirit you
received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is
the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out ‘Abba, Father!’i (v.
15). The Spirit himself and our spirit bear witnessj that we are
children of God.(v. 29). Footnote h says “‘led’
seems inadequate: the Holy Spirit is much more than one who inwardly
admonishes, he is the principle of a life truly divine, cf. Ga. 2:20.”; Footnote i says “ The prayer of Christ in Gethsemane, Mk
14:36.”; and Footnote j says “Or (Vulg) ‘The Spirit bears witness to our
spirit’.”
2. Ga
4:4-6 - But when
the appointed timec came, God sent his son, born of a woman, born a
subject of the Law (v.4), to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to
be adopted as sons.d (v. 5).
The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts: the Spirit that cries, “Abba, Father” (v. 6)… Footnote c says “Lit.
‘fullness of time’; the phrase indicates how when the messianic age comes it
will fill a need felt for centuries, rather like filling up a jug. Cf. Ac 1:7+
and Mk 1:15; 1 Co 10:11; Ep 1:10; Heb 1”2; 9:26; 1 P 1:20.”; and Footnote d
says “The two aspects of
redemption, negative and positive: the slave attains freedom by becoming a son.
First and foremost the adoption to sonship is not simply a legal right to
inherit, v. 7, but the real and inward giving of the Spirit, v. 6.”
3.
Rm 3:26 - Then, for the
present age,m by showing positively that he is just,n and
that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus. Footnote m says “This
‘present age’ is in God’s plan of salvation the ‘time appointed’, Ac 1:7+, for
Christ’s redemptive work, Rm 5:6; 11:30; 1 Tm 2:6; Tt 1:3, which comes in the
appointed time, Ga 4:4+, once and for all, Heb 7:27+, and inaugurates the
eschatological era. Cf Mt 4:17p; 16:3p; Lk 4:13; 19:44; 21:8; Jn 7:6,8.”;
and Footnote n says “i.e. exercising his (saving, cf 1:17+)
justice, as he had promised, by justifying man.”
4. 1
P 3:18 - Why,
Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins,g
died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the
spirit he was raised to life… Footnote g says “‘sins’;
vulg. ‘our sins’, Om.to ‘God’.”
Verses 7 and 8 say: It is easy to die
even for a good man- though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be
prepared to die – but what proves that
God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Rm 8:32 - Since God did not
spare his Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such
a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give.
2.
Jn 15:13 - A man can have no
greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
3.
1 Jn 4:10,19 - This is
the love I mean: not our love for God, but God’s love for us when he sent his
Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away (v. 10). We are to love, then,
because he loved us first (v. 19).
Homily: Stagnant
Water versus Living water:
Footnote a of Jn 4 says: “Meetings at a well are a feature of the patriarchal narratives: Gn
24:10f; 29:1f; Ex 2:15f. Wells and springs play a significant part in the
life and religion of the patriarchal and
Exodus periods: Gn 26:15f; Ex 15:22-27; 17:1-7 etc. In the OT, spring water
symbolizes the life that God gives, especially that of the messianic age: Is
12:3; 55:1; Jr 2:13; Ezk 42:1f (cf. Ps 46:4 and Zc 14:8); Ps 36:8-9 (and in the
NT: Rv 7:16-17; 22:17); it symbolizes also the life imparted by divine Wisdom
and by the Law, Pr 13:14; Si 15:3; 24:23-29. This symbolism is carried further
in the gospel narrative: living
(i.e. spring) water signifies the Spirit,
cf. Jn 7:37-39 and 1:33+.” According
to this footnote, what is referred to as “living water” in scripture is spring
water.
What is the importance between having
a turbid or stagnant water and a living water?
Stagnant, or turbid, water is mentioned in Wisdom
11:6 that says: “You gave them not that
ever-flowing source of river water turbid with defiling floods…”
Living water is also mentioned in
Isaiah 58:11 when it says: “Yahweh will
always guide you, giving you relief in desert places. He will give you strength
to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water
whose waters never run dry.”
Jesus Christ has given us the
life-giving water by giving us the waters of baptism. Baptism is the living
water. The 7 Capital Sins, which enslaves man like the seven husbands of the
Samaritan woman, is the stagnant water which we fetch from day in and day out without
ever satisfying our thirst for more in life. The living water of baptism is
only drawn from the well once it is satisfying all our thirst for life.
