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Exploring the word

27 Mar 2011 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

AN INTERESTING CONTRAST presents itself in our two big Bible stories this week. On the one hand we’ve got the grumbling nation behind Moses: reasonably thirsty, yet decidedly unpleasant about it. These are the same folks who’ve been recently delivered from a generation of slavery, miraculously led across a divided sea, and granted the unlikely gifts of quail and manna from heaven, right there in the Sinai wilderness. You’d expect a little show of faith from these people, an air of courtesy mixed into their request for water. But all we see is an ugly, snarling mob of ingrates. On the other hand we meet the woman from Samaria, obviously thirsty, too, or she wouldn’t be visiting the well at this difficult, sun-drenched midday hour. She also has reasons to be unpleasant: It’s hot, there’s a strange man hovering over her destination, and what’s worse he’s a traditional enemy to her community. Yet this woman chooses to keep the dialogue civil, calling the stranger “sir” and demonstrating, once more, a delightful spunk that is the signature characteristic of a biblical hero. Whereas the nasty mob around Moses repels us—we don’t want to be in the midst of these people more than necessary and are grateful they remain an anonymous sea of hostility—we find ourselves befriending the woman of Samaria. We want to know her name. We’d like to follow her home and find out what happens to her after her privileged encounter with Jesus. We know in general terms that the fates of the participants in these two stories couldn’t be more distinct. The nation behind Moses, ever wielding a blade of mistrust that could wind up in their leader’s back, gets their spring of water and miraculous rescue once more. But does it change anything? Won’t they be just as angry, aggrieved, and thirsty again tomorrow? The rock at Horeb provides them with water for a day, or a week. Still the place remains defined by the spirit of the people: Massah and Meribah, quarreling and testing. In the deepest and most real sense, the community remains parched and unsatisfied. By contrast watch what happens to our heroine of Samaria. She leaves her bucket unfilled by the well, no longer in need of the kind of water that lasts a day. She leaves her grievances by the well, too, running back to the community that has judged her behavior in the past with news too good to withhold. Living water has changed her, turning a notorious woman into a reliable witness. Once defined by a wearyingly eminent marriageability, she’s redefined in a sterling new relationship as the first apostle to the Samaritans. Thirst is not a bad thing, we realize. It can lead straight to our heart’s desire. Related scripture links God as El Shaddai, "The One of the Mountain": Gen. 17:1, 28:3, 35:11, 43:14, 48:3; Exod. 6:3; Num. 24:4, 16; Pss. 68:15, 91:1; Ezek. 1:24, 10:5 Places associated with God: Bethel: Gen. 12:8, 13:3, 28:10-11, 35:1-13; Horeb/Sinai: Exod. 3; Deut. 4:10, 15, 5:2, 9:8, 28:69; 1 Kings 8:9, 19:8; Shiloh: Josh. 18:1, 8-10, 19:51, 21:2, 22:9, 12; Judg. 18:31, 21:19-21; 1 Sam.1-4 Samaritans elsewhere in the Bible: 2 Kings 17; Ezra 4:1-24; Neh. 4, 6:1-13; 1 Macc. 3:10, 10:30, 38, 11:28, 34; Luke 9:52-56, 10:33-37, 17:16; Matt. 10:5-6 Catechism links Woman at the well: CCC 439; 544; 586; 606; 728; 1137; 1179; 2560; 2652 Waters of Meribah: CCC 694; 2119 Resurrection: CCC 988-101

Authors Alice Camille

living water Moses samaritan woman

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The inner word

27 Mar 2011 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Aren't the readings this week about the journey of faith? The Israelites in the desert, with some stubbornness, come to trust in the God who really is with them and saves them. Saint Paul speaks of the power of faith to bring believers to the grace of hope and salvation. And in the long gospel story, the Samaritan woman moves from unbelief to faith to testifying in the Christ who brings living water. What has been your personal "exodus"? When have you felt as if you were traveling through the desert? Where did you find "water," the living presence of God? The Samaritan woman came to faith through a direct experience of Jesus. What are your most personal encounters with the Lord? She also testified to her neighbors about Jesus. Where do you make your most effective testimony to your faith?

faith journey Samaritan Exodus christ

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Exploring the word

11 Jul 2010 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

MERCY IS IN danger of becoming an antique word. We live in a tough world where cynicism is the protective wrapping around many hearts. Hostility toward the enemy and suspicion of the stranger are the norm. Our bitterly partisan culture encourages us to be vitriolic toward competing ideas and those who hold them. It's acceptable and even fashionable to be rude, self-promoting, and other-denying. The more hysterical the public rhetoric is, the farther it travels and the more popular it becomes. We must oppose this trend. Christians can't afford to toss their hats in the ring with intolerance, arrogance, and downright cruelty. When hysteria rules, we must remain good stewards of our words and emotions and where they lead us. Spraying unbridled passion about self-indulgently is incompatible with the baptismal vocation. We're called to surrender our lives for others, not trample them underfoot if they oppose our point of view. Why is that important? Because demonstrating mercy toward the neighbor is an imperative of our faith. Eternal life hangs in the balance when we choose to exercise or deny compassion. The great commandment obliges us to love God and neighbor. And if we want to quibble about the definition of neighbor, we only have to listen to the parable of the Good Samaritan again. Good Samaritan has become a metaphor for do-gooding; that's unfortunate. The Good Samaritan is not a philanthropist spreading money around on his favorite causes. No, the Samaritan is not a charitable guy in the traditional sense. He's a brave man who crosses clear social lines to rescue the wrong person: his enemy. A man who hates him. A man to whom he owes nothing, neither kindness nor sustenance. Chances are the fellow in the gutter would have let the Samaritan bleed to death had the roles been reversed. The Samaritan doesn't weigh that probability very heavily when making the decision to help. Most of us can't get our minds around what the Samaritan does because we can't even offer an ideological opponent common courtesy, never mind spending time, money, and genuine compassion on the suffering of a perceived foe. We have little practice with sympathy, much less empathy. The modern model is to be sarcastic, distant, and unconcerned. "Not my problem, not my job" is the mantra. Many of us don't even want to hear about the plight of undocumented immigrants, or gay bashing, or the intimidation of American Muslims, or the continued effect of racism and sexism, even when it operates in our church assemblies. The Good Samaritan remains a rather lonely fellow. Yet the advice of Jesus is plain: "Go and do likewise." Related scripture links Written on hearts of flesh: Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:19-2, 36:26-27 We are God's letter: 2 Cor. 3:2-3 The word dwells in us: Phil. 3:16 You shall love the Lord and your neighbor: Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5, 10:12 Catechism links Mercy: CCC 1822; 1825; 1829; 2083; 2447; 2822

Authors Alice Camille

great commandment love your neighbor Good Samaritan

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The inner word

11 Jul 2010 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

If only you would heed the voice of the Lord . . . .” It sounds so simple and it is—in theory. What keeps me from listening intently and carrying out the Word of God? In what ways do I recognize that the Word of God is “something very near” to me? It is in Jesus that “all things hold together.” Think of the crucifix in which the vertical and the horizontal meet and where Jesus’ outstretched arms encompass all that is. When I am tempted to resist doing what I know I ought, do I turn to Jesus as the way through resistance to transformation? When, recently, have I run into a “Good Samaritan”? When have I felt someone “pass on by the other side of the road” when I needed help?

word of god Crucifix Good Samaritan

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Homily stories

14 Jul 2013 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

EACH MORNING when we scan or listen to the news, we expect to hear something sad. Suffering and crisis take prominence in our news stories, while stories that talk about heroism or share a personal story of compassion are rare. There was a recent story of a bicyclist who was struck by a car and later died from the injuries he had suffered. Initially the headline caught my eye because it was a tragic death on the city’s streets and the story also included a few lines about the nurse who saw the accident and tried to help. She jumped out of her car with a towel and sweatshirt to care for his wounds and try and save him. Others also tried to assist. The tragedy of course is that a human life was lost that evening, but strangers gathered to save a person they did not know. They were the good Samaritans that evening among all the others who may have passed up the bicyclist. The nurse later reached out to the cyclist’s family and friends to let them know that in his final hours he was not alone.

Authors Clarissa Aljentera

Suffering Compassion Samaritan

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Go forth and do likewise

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Readings: Luke 10:25-37 "Go and do likewise." If we do not celebrate a person's life's work when they die, we make the same mistake as when we do not celebrate their work during their life. The story of the Good Samaritan is a story about N. Jesus was asked outright what we must do to inherit eternal life, and his answer was to tell the story of the Good Samaritan. Who was the Good Samaritan? We don't know for sure, but it is clear that he was a layperson, not a religious professional. In fact, it is probable that he was some sort of businessperson—for why else would he be on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho early in the morning, and just happen to have oil and wine with him, and be able to pay the innkeeper to take care of the victim, and promise to return on his "way back"? In other words, the Good Samaritan was in the midst of doing his job when he was asked to be a good neighbor. N. was like the Good Samaritan. S/he was a layperson who did most of her "Good Samaritaning" in the midst of the hustle and bustle of her busy life. N. was the kind of person who just did what needed to be done in her daily work on her job, with her family and friends, in her community, and here in the church. She didn't make a big deal out of it, didn't expect accolades or recognition, didn't hold herself up as some sort of saint. She just went about her work without complaint, always looking for opportunities to help others in need, without any thought about whether or not people would notice or thank her properly for her effort. What N. was really doing was helping to build the kingdom of God "on earth as it is in heaven," as Jesus taught us to pray in the Our Father. And in so doing, N. inherited eternal life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Do this, Jesus said, and you will live. N. did this, and in so doing she lived a full life [even though it may have been shortened in years] and has now inherited eternal life. The Good Samaritan was in the midst of doing his job when he was asked to be a good neighbor." "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus was asked, and he told the story of the Good Samaritan. He might have told any number of stories from the life of N. [Tell two or three stories about how the deceased was a Good Samaritan, if you know or have been told about the person's work.] N. was a good neighbor. She was a good neighbor for many years at her work at [name of workplace]. She was a good neighbor to those of us who live in [name the community]. She was a good neighbor to those of us in this church. And she was certainly a good neighbor to her family [name specific family members]. What N. did in her life was perhaps not considered heroic. Maybe it did not generate many headlines or garner numerous awards. What she did in her lifetime was to be a good neighbor. She saw someone in need; she stopped and did what she could—it wasn't rocket science, but it was what the Lord asks us to do. For N., acting like the Good Samaritan was what you do if you are a follower of Jesus. And Jesus told the rest of us to "go and do likewise." So let us take our cue from N. Let us go back into our own jobs and families and neighborhoods and do what needs to be done. That is how N. demonstrated that she loved God and loved her neighbor, that is how N. helped build the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, that is how N. inherited eternal life. Let us go forth and do likewise.

Authors Nate Pierce

funeral all manner of death Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

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Pope makes good-neighbor visit to island

14 Jul 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday's gospel account of the Good Samaritan, Jesus challenges his audience to consider what it means to be a good neighbor. Pope Francis used the first pastoral visit of his papacy to challenge church and world on the same theme. Upending protocol and politics on a visit to the tiny island of Lampedusa off the coast of Sicily to pray for refugees and migrants lost at sea, Francis criticized "global indifference" to the refugee crisis: "Today no one in the world feels responsible for this; we have lost the sense of fraternal responsibility.“We have fallen into the hypocritical attitude of the priest and of the servant of the altar that Jesus speaks about in the parable of the Good Samaritan," said Francis in a direct reference to the Sunday gospel. "We look upon the brother half dead by the roadside, perhaps we think 'poor guy,' and we continue on our way, it's none of our business; and we feel fine with this.”Lampedusa is only 113 kilometers from Tunisia and has been the first point of entry to Europe for more than 200,000 refugees and irregular migrants who have passed through the island since 1999. The Italian coast guard had just rescued a crippled ship with 165 Eritreans on board only hours before the pope's arrival.The pontiff flew to Lampedusa from Rome on Monday morning and immediately boarded a port authority cutter that has been involved in the rescue of more than 30,000 refugees in recent years, according to the Italian coast guard. Outside the port the pope paused to pray at the sight of a deadly 2011 shipwreck before launching a wreath of flowers into the water to commemorate the lives of those lost at sea "in search of a better life."On arriving in the port the pope then met 50 selected migrants including men, women, and children who were both Christian and Muslim and listened to their stories about their perilous voyage from North Africa. The pope then held a mass for 15,000 people under a blazing sun at an outdoor sporting center on the island. Standing at an altar made of the wooden remnants of refugee boats and dressed in purple robes normally reserved for Lent, Pope Francis gave an emotional homily focused on "global indifference" to the refugee and irregular migrant problem.Homily hint: Though we’d all like to identify with the Good Samaritan in this Sunday’s gospel, when we are honest with ourselves we see a lot of the priest and the Levite in ourselves. Perhaps we can do a little better in community, with the support with others who, like us, would like to get on the right side of the road and be good neighbors. Source: An article by Barbie Latza Nadeau for CNN

Pope Francis immigrants Good Samaritan refugees north africa irregular migrants lampedusa

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Homily themes

29 May 2011 - Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle A

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. Philip was one of the "Seven" upon whom hands had been laid to commission them "for prayer and to the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:1-7). After Stephen's death, the Greek-speaking disciples fled Jerusalem and ministered in other places. Like Jesus, who dealt with Samaritans and told stories about them to illustrate his rejection by his own people, Philip, driven out of Jerusalem, goes to spread the gospel in the home of the hated Samaritans. Homily points Philip had a great day in Samaria by most measurements. It's one example of what it means to live in the spirit of truth. Even nonprofessional preachers have an obligation to proclaim the gospel, one decision at a time, through the spirit of truth. Courageous living issues a challenge and a testimony to all the world.

phillip Samaritan the christ

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Homily stories

27 Mar 2011 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Jesus must have been very thirsty; he had been traveling and it was the heat of the day. His encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well, though, hinges on a much deeper yearning: her recognition of the difference between ordinary water and the Living Water Christ offers. While the Samaritan woman's search for earthly water led her to the water of eternal life, the reverse can also be true: Wells of the spirit can lead to earthly wells. When Bishop Walter Thomas, a Baptist pastor from Baltimore, went on a trip of church leaders to Kenya, he visited a community called Mbagathi, where everyone cooked, washed their clothes, bathed, and drank from the same stream. "We learned how polluting a stream can destroy whole communities," he said, "their ability to harvest crops, to stay alive. We saw the hope that something as small as a well could bring." When he returned he got his congregation involved in providing educational and hygiene kits to African students and in the global effort to curb water pollution and shortages and raise awareness of water and hygiene issues among religious groups. Without everyday water the body withers. Without Living Water so does the spirit. The slaking of both thirsts can begin at some pretty important wells.

Authors Joel Schorn

samaritan woman living water walter thomas kenya

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