Archbishop of Sydney

Third Sunday of Lent

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney
Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn 4:5-42

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
27 February 2005

Today we have the fascinating encounter in John’s gospel between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in the village of Sychar.

The Samaritans too were worshippers of the one true God, followers of Abraham and Moses, but there was bad blood, strong mutual prejudices between them and the Jews.  There were theological differences as the Samaritans would not worship at the Temple in Jerusalem and did not accept the writings of the great prophets, such as Ezekiel.  They had also helped the Syrians in their war against the Jews in the second century B.C.

What proved to be an important spiritual encounter, a conversion experience for this Samaritan woman and her friends, began with an exchange of basic courtesies and greetings.  If Jesus had not spoken, if she had broken off the conversation, none of the spiritual gains could have occurred.

Lent is a time when we should reflect on God’s providence, the reality of his love and interest in us as free agents in a physical world which follows the laws of nature.  This providence is mysterious, but it is real.  God adapts to our mistakes, provides new opportunities for us.

I found Tolkien’s novel “The Lord of the Rings” illuminating as a help to understanding how God might work.  While there is an important difference, (we are free, but Tolkien’s characters did what he decided), I recognized that if a brilliant author could weave such a web, then God could cope with all our twisting and turning.  The regulars here have heard me compare the satellite direction finder in my car to one aspect of God’s oversight.  The direction finder never rebukes you for a mistake, but in a gentle unchanged voice directs you how you can correct yourself.  Neither does the tone change if you consistently ignore the directions.  God is patient and persistent.

Very different in attitude were the Jews in the desert with Moses on their escape from Egypt.  They were vocal and mutinous.  They were like Australian Catholics in the Church before Vatican II.  They had the benefits of a strong leadership and a sense of direction and something to complain about.  Many enjoy both of these attributes.

God copes with us whatever choices we make.  He remains interested in us when we sin; in fact he always pursues the biggest sinners.  But the Samaritan woman is a far better model for us then Moses’ rebellious and complaining followers.

Even by our contemporary standards, the Samaritan women was interesting and colourful; five husbands and now a partner!  Whatever else about her, she liked men!  It also reminds us that human weakness and muddle is not a recent invention.

I wonder though what lay beneath the externals, the confident smile and the banter.  Women went to the well in the morning and evening.  She might have been there to avoid the other women.  We do not know how many of her husbands died or how many divorced her, but those hidden wounds would have been deep.  There must have been sorrow and sadness for her, her children, for the men involved.  She must have been depressed, perhaps tempted to despair, to believe that in her life nothing worked out.  Naturally, she became defensive with Jesus when asked to bring along her husband.  “I have no husband,” she replied.

“You are right there” Jesus replied, “because, although you have had five, the one now is not your husband.”

Confronted by this truth, the woman might have lost her temper, abused Jesus for impertinence or simply walked off and left him.  She certainly never anticipated being in such deep water when Jesus asked her for a drink.

But she was honest with herself, open to this unusual and spiritual man talking about the living water that takes away our thirst forever.  In humility she acknowledged him.  “I see you are a prophet,” she said.

Most Australians today know that right and wrong are important, but many Australians are uncertain whether it is important to believe, to worship our unseen God.

Most of the Jews then had a different approach.  To worship God in spirit and truth, to have nothing to do with false gods, was important for them.  The Samaritan woman accepted this and knew also that God would send a Messiah, Christ, the anointed one “to tell us everything”.

It was then that Jesus, Our Lord, said something he never said to his fellow Jews: he acknowledged to her that he was the Messiah.  “I who am speaking to you, I am he.”

This is a beautiful story, which has recurred again and again in history; a wounded person allowing God’s love, the cleansing waters of life, into her heart; the person judged least likely to turn to religion being cured and healed by God’s love.

Her conversion can be our conversion, if we are honest and open and prepared to pray.  During this Lent we should dedicate our prayer and penance not only to moral improvement, but to achieving a deeper sense of God’s love for us and of the importance of cooperating with His providence.

To accept and follow God’s providence we do not need a succession of heroic decisions; rarely indeed is heroism needed.

Cardinal Newman in his wonderful poem Lead Kindly Light showed what is required for most of the journey.  The opening verse runs like this

“Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
     Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark and I am far from home.
     Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet – I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me”.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.