In the Gospel passage about Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman, there’s a lot to reflect on. Do I write about patience? About being too distracted by our immediate needs to understand Jesus’ message for us? Jesus associating with a person society thought he shouldn’t? About deepening our faith through our own experience and trust in God? There is SO MUCH. With each new theme I noticed, I read the passage over and over again. I started imagining myself in the scene as the Samaritan woman. Ahh, Ignatian Contemplation, you kicked in. That’s it, this felt right, I'd write about my experience entering the passage. 

It’s noon. It’s hot. The cicadas are buzzing incessantly. I’m sticky with sweat and absolutely parched. The sun is bearing down, the air stifling, and I’m not looking forward to carrying the heavy water jar back. I just want to be over with it so I can get home and at least find some shade. The last thing I want is to have to interact with anyone, and I am not pleased to see a Jew of all people at the well. Clearly another traveler passing through. Samaritans and Jews do not get along, so why is he trying to talk to me? Just who does he think he is, asking me for water? Living water? He has quite the ego to think he’s better than Jacob. I wish he would leave me alone, I'm thirsty and just want to finish my job, it's hard to draw water and converse, but he's not giving up.

He says this living water would make me never thirst again? Yeah, sure, it would be great not to need to come to the well. He’s a curious man, still not giving up even now that I've mocked him a bit. Now he's telling me about my life? To know about my life like this, he must be a prophet. This is getting interesting now, he might actually be someone important. I’ve forgotten my thirst, forgotten my jug. If he is the Christ, I must get others to meet him. This is a little alarming, but also exciting! His noisy disciples return and I leave, walking through the dusty streets with a sense of urgency. I must tell others about my experience. Some believe me and so start to believe in this man and go to him. Some are doubtful, but I’m not deterred. He’s agreed to stay with us for two days. I go and listen to him throughout these days, visiting various homes in town. I feel refreshed. Everything feels lighter, and the cicadas even sound beautiful to me now. How wonderfully patient he is in explaining his message to us and staying with us for two whole days. I am glad of this relationship with this man, I truly believe him to be the Christ the more I listen and learn. Others do too! We have been lucky enough to know the Christ, and this will save us. My water jar is long forgotten. 

During Lent, I'm trying to work on strengthening my relationship with Jesus. Somehow, in my distraction while my imagination ran free, I re-entered the practice of Ignatian Contemplation I learned from my old spiritual director and practiced in Contemplative Leaders in Action, and it really did help me get to know Jesus a bit better. How do you get to know Jesus better?