Being cleansed through water and the Holy Spirit - A Lenten Reflection

This past weekend, we reflected on the living water and learnt that the only source of that living water is from Jesus Christ. We also learnt about a Samaritan woman in which Jesus asked for some water. Now there are some valuable lessons which we can learn from this powerful Gospel story and how we too can turn to Jesus and ask for his water, the Living Water, which will never run dry.

At that point in time, Jews and Samaritans never got along so by Jesus, who was a Jew, asking a Samaritan for some water, he broke barriers and in so doing, he teaches us that we must accept everyone. Discrimination is not of God because he came for all, not for a certain group of people since he is Lord of all. The second point to notice is that Jesus, knowing all that the Samaritan woman had been through in her life, both good and bad, offered her a moment of mercy. Jesus could have ignored her and endured the thirst until he approached another well but because his motive was to grant this woman full redemption, he initiated a conversation which eventually led to healing, of the soul. Jesus started off by asking the woman for some regular water and by the end of the conversation, Jesus offered her something which is even more real and precious, the gift of Living Water. Taken from John 4:13, it says "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." From that moment, the Samaritan woman, filled with joy and gladness accepted the 'love-offering' in which Jesus gave to her and from that moment, she was cleansed and granted eternal life.

We can all learn from the Samaritan woman. The same way that she was open to the graces from God, we too must be open. Regular water can be used for many things and one of its main attributes is that it is meant to cleanse. The Living Water in which Christ offers to us everyday is also meant to cleanse us from all iniquities. As such, we must pray daily and ask him to continuously refesh and cleanse us with his Living Water. Sin causes our souls to be dirty but the graces which we receive at the Sacrament of Confession washes away those sins. Just imagine the Living Water washing away our sinful blots and being rekindled with the Holy Spirit.

Finally, after the Samaritan woman was filled with the 'Living Water' from Jesus, she eagerly ran to the town to tell everyone there about a man (Jesus) who told her all about her life and how she found redemption. Through faith, the people of the town believed her and ran towards Jesus expecting to receive the same blessings and graces which the former woman received. What the Samaritan woman shared back at the village is what we call today a 'Testimony'! Testimony builds each other's faith because it shows us how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives and in order for others to see the Spirit of God manifesting in our own lives, we are encouraged to share our Testimony! It shows us that miracles are not only events which we read about in the bible but how it is alive in our lives in today's world. Now remember, the only person capable of performing miracles is Jesus Christ. So we all can relate to the Samaritan woman, we can have a dark past and a bright and holy future. But, we must ask Jesus to fill us with his Living Water through the Holy Spirit. Glory to God! 

-- B. Durham, 2014