Every year, this Gospel comes up during Lent, and every single year, it wrecks me. Yes, priests can get emotional, too, okay? In the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, she finds her identity in all the husbands who use her. And here is Jesus who is love Himself. And what’s so incredible is that He loves her well, and He loves her how she is called to be loved. She and her sins do not scandalize him, but He also disapproves of her and her sins.
The true love of Jesus Christ, He calls her to holiness, He calls her to Himself. My invitation for all of you today is to allow yourself to be loved like the Samaritan woman, to let Jesus look at you and your sins, and realize that Jesus is not scandalized, but He doesn’t approve of it either, and He calls you to holiness. Jesus is the only one who satisfies.
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Focal Point in Life
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Jesus and Our Purpose
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Suspicious of Joy
Ebenezer Scrooge, Severus Snape, Loki, The Grinch. What do they all have in common? They are suspicious of joy. In the gospel for this Sunday, we have the story of the famous prodigal son. The older son is suspicious of joy. He hears the party for the younger son, and instead of going out, he is suspicious of the joy happening. If they are being rejoiced over, then he must be less loved. Because the older son is suspicious…
