Sun., Mar. 23, 2014
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
In the past few years, with the increase in reality TV series, many intervention programs have gained popularity. These programs focus on individuals who have different addictions or phobias which bind hold them and their families’ hostage. Some of the worse cases are those people who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.
These people’s lives are often shattered by their addiction. They become different people who are enslaved to the desire to escape into another world. Often this is a result of a deeper emotional or psychological wound which has never been dealt with. The object of intervention is to slowly bring the wound into the open so that it may be recognized as a disordered way of perceiving one’s self or others. This is often a painful and long process which takes much patience and love from a support group.
Can’t recognize the darkness
Whenever our vision or outlook is obscured or disordered we become imprisoned to fears of the unknown and paralyzed. But what if we did not know we were enslaved? What if we lived in such deep darkness for so long that we couldn’t recognize what it is like to live in the light?
This state of deep darkness is the experience of the woman at the well in today’s Gospel. She is in such darkness that she thinks it is normal. It is totally normal for her to go to the well at the hottest part of the day to get water. Presumably, she has been doing this for some time because she doesn’t want to encounter the other women who are quite judgmental of her past. To avoid them, this woman goes each day at a time she doesn’t expect to see anyone else. If we were to ask her about this she would likely say, “It’s no big deal.” “I prefer to come at this time so I don’t have to wait.” Jesus though knows that it is a “big deal.” Her sins have left her in a state of bondage. Poor choices have left her in a state of darkness separated from God and others. She no longer looks at the world in spiritual way, but only from a worldly perspective.
Leading her to the light
But lucky for her, the Son of God has come to seek and save the lost. God looks for the lost sheep like a good shepherd. Jesus reaches out to her to say, “give me a drink.” The woman is taken aback, because a Jew would never be alone with a Samaritan woman, let alone talk to her. At this point, she only sees him as a Jew, but Jesus has gotten her attention. The lines of this Gospel passage are so beautiful as Jesus patiently leads this woman back into the light. He longs to give her “living water” which will “well up to eternal life.” This is grace or the life of God which he gives to all the baptized. This divine life given at baptism is meant to be the foretaste of heaven. The life of grace is meant to grow in us until we finally see God face to face in the Beatific Vision.
But, before Jesus can give her this life He must heal the wound which she has been hiding for so long. Jesus tells her to “Go call your husband and come back.” He knows her sin, but he needs her to expose it to the light in order for it to be healed. Once sin is brought to light the Divine Physician can heal it. What an amazing change begins to happen in this woman! Freed from her burden, she rapidly gains a deeper understanding of who Jesus really is: first she recognizes him as a “prophet” and later as “the Christ.” The woman goes from someone who is isolated from God and others to an evangelizer, to her community.
He will heal us
This is an amazing change in a person’s life, but it happens all the time in the Sacrament of Confession. In Confession we are able to acknowledge our wounds which have separated us from God and others. Jesus, through His priest, is able to apply the balm of forgiveness to our injured soul. God created us for freedom, but often times we are content to go through life spiritually sick and separated from others. We all need healing and freedom from our sins. We long for the light, but sin obscures our sight and vision of reality. It can all be restored to us if we would just come to the Divine Physician. He will heal us no matter how sick we may be.
Let us make it a practice to frequent confession and take better care of our souls. Why wander through life in the darkness, wounded when we can be free to live the divine life. It is the Father’s pleasure to forgive us and walk with us on the way to heaven. There, sin exists no more and we live in perfect freedom with God. This is the plan for all of us if we would only come embrace a more healthy way of living. Living in this freedom and sharing this with others just like the “woman at the well.”