Just like the woman at the well in today’s Gospel reading from the Third Sunday of Lent Scrutiny Year A (John 4:5-42), we carry our transgressions wherever we go. Whether they are on the forefront of our minds or buried deep, they affect our behavior and our relationship with those we encounter. The woman in today's reading intentionally went to the well around noon to avoid the women of her town. They knew her history, they judged her, and rejected her. Ultimately, the woman scheduled her day influenced by the burden of her sins… until she met Jesus.
What appears to be a casual, albeit cautious conversation with Jesus, turns out to be a profound, life-changing experience for the woman, and a missionary opportunity for Jesus as His true nature is revealed. Jesus explained the difference between water from the well and “living water,” which promises everlasting life (John 4:10-14). The woman immediately wanted this “living water,” the water she had longed for.
But not just yet. Jesus then asked her to go and get her husband but she confessed that she did not have one. It was easy for her to confess that she did not have a husband. That was on the surface, well-seen by others. It was then that Jesus revealed His complete knowledge of her; her five husbands and everything she and done. He explained that the time of redemption had arrived. Those who truly wanted to live in the hope of Christ should repent, change from their sinful ways and live for the promise of eternal life.
The woman said to Him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am He, the one speaking with you” (John 4:25-26). When He spoke these words she immediately believed Him. To me, at that moment, she surrendered her sins and repented. Jesus forgave her, granted her absolution cleansing her soul. She was transformed with joy and awe, no longer constrained by the shame of her transgressions. She no longer felt the need to avoid the townspeople. Instead, she put down her jar and hurried into the town to share the good news! This is what Jesus wants for all of us.
Fast forward to present day. Our human nature is still the same. We are sinners and the transgressions we bear affect our behavior which affects our relationships and thus, the world. But, how blessed are we that we don’t have to wait for a chance encounter with Jesus to be offered redemption? Today we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we want to receive it. We are offered spiritual healing through the power of reconciliation with God and the Church in the true presence of Jesus as He reveals Himself through the priest. To expand on that, Saint Thomas More at Yale offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation four days a week immediately preceding Mass. Think about what this means. We are given the opportunity to come before God to reconcile our sins immediately before coming into the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist when we choose to stay for Mass.
Just as the woman at the well was transformed in the presence of Jesus, the Christ, we receive the transforming power of Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. The question is, do we do what the woman at the well did? Do we leave, transformed by Christ Jesus, and go share the good news with those around us?
