Third Sunday of Lent_A - Breathe Into Me_031520

Deacon Tom Writes,

Breathe Into Me  

Third Sunday of Lent, Year A

A young man told me his conversion story a while ago when I was a prison chaplain in Connecticut. He needed some quick cash to pay off his gambling debts. So, he stopped by a bank to make a withdrawal. Small problem – his withdrawal slip was a pistol. While fleeing the bank the police responded appropriately by firing at him, unaware that his pistol was a BB gun. He was hit six times. As he lay dying, he says he saw the devil come to him and begin to “rip his soul out of his body”. Just when he thought he had drawn his last breath, he felt new life being breathed into him by Jesus and he heard Him say, “Get away Satan, this is a child of God”. This young man had been recovering for seven months when I met him and, after his recovery, which was still some time off, he would face a long prison sentence. That didn’t bother him because his profound encounter with Jesus had given him a new vision for his life; it has changed his life forever. He knows that God has a purpose for him and he is looking to find out just what it is.

Most of us look with skepticism at such extreme conversion experiences because they are over the top. Yet, recall these words of Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, say the LORD.” We fail at times to remember that God is mystery. We simply cannot grasp the great love God has for us that leads to his pursuing us all the time, through … “the labyrinth ways of my own mind; and in the midst of tears” as Francis Thompson wrote in his poem, The Hound of Heaven. God is like a bloodhound, always tracking us down, right there beside us when we stumble and fall.

Today’s gospel demonstrates this very point. Jesus goes out of his way to engage this Samaritan woman. The Samaritans and the Jews are religious enemies who hated and loathed each other because they differed on the proper way to worship God. (Some things never change!!) Jesus intentionally crosses the barriers of hostility to encounter this woman. He meets her in the midst of the crises of her life; in the middle of her life that has been filled with broken relationships, disappointment, alienation from her community; and he breathes new life into her, and through her he animates the entire village.

By necessity we need to be advocates for those who are trying to put their lives back together after they stumble and fall. It is through their stories and their witness that we come to know the mystery of God’s love for us and his readiness to breathe new life into us repeatedly. No matter what we do. No matter how far we run or from how high we fall. 

I believe we all have profound conversion stories of how God has come to us through our failures and brokenness. Perhaps, as we continue on our Lenten journey, we can reflect on how God is calling us to use these encounters first to respond to his love and then to help him breathe new life into others he sends into our lives.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

That "Aha" Moment

Deacon Tom Writes,

“That Aha Moment”

Third Sunday of Lent, Year A 

(Optional – Scrutinies)

The gospel today is fascinating in many respects. Jesus has crossed over to Samaria, the land East of the Jordan, a place where Jews were not welcomed, to say the least. He stops to rest at a well and when a Samaritan woman comes to draw water, he asks her for a drink. This was unusual since it was not the custom of the day for men to engage in conversations with women, especially given the tension between Jew and Samaritan. Then there is the depth of the conversation. Here the story becomes remarkable!

Jesus and the woman share intimate truths about themselves. She is a sinner; Jesus is the Messiah. This encounter with Jesus changes this woman’s life forever, and that of her entire village. This simple woman, struggling with life and relationships, meets a complete stranger who turns her life around in a moment of truth. She has one of those “aha” moments, a time when she has deep insight into the mysteries of life and “she gets it.” During this brief encounter with Christ she comprehends that Jesus is the Messiah; grace has enlightens her mind. If you have ever had one of these experiences, you know the profound effect it can have on you and the rest of your life. The conversion of St. Paul comes to mind.

The story of the Samaritan Women is from the Third Sunday of Lent, Year A and is one of three optional reading proclaimed on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent as part of the rite of scrutinies. These Rites are intended for the catechumens i.e., those who are to receive Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation and are celebrated by the entire community each year to remind us that we all can have an experience similar to that of the Samaritan Woman. Any and all of us can have an “aha” moment, a moment when we experience Jesus in the depth of our being, a point in time when we realize that our lives our empty without Him. This encounter may take place as we watch the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, during quiet reflection, or at a time when we feel lonely, isolated, and alone. We encounter Jesus at unexpected and sometimes inconvenient places. Most likely, we meet Him when and where we are most in need of Him, just like the woman at the well.

May the remainder of our Lenten journey provide us with many chances to deepen our relationship with Christ, many opportunities to have our own “aha” moments when we are able to meet Jesus and experience His forgiveness, gentleness, and His love.

Enjoy the Day,

Deacon Tom

Breath Into Me

Deacon Tom Writes,

Breathe Into Me

Third Sunday of Lent, Year A

A young man told me his conversion story a while ago when I was a prison chaplain in Connecticut. He needed some quick cash to pay off his gambling debts. So, he stopped by a bank to make a withdrawal. Small problem – his withdrawal slip was a pistol. While fleeing the bank the police responded appropriately by firing at him, unaware that his pistol was a BB gun. He was hit six times. As he lay dying, he says he saw the devil come to him and begin to “rip his soul out of his body”. Just when he thought he had drawn his last breath, he felt new life being breathed into him by Jesus and he heard Him say, “Get away Satan, this is a child of God”. This young man had been recovering for seven months when I met him and, after his recovery, which was still some time off, he would face a long prison sentence. That didn’t bother him because his profound encounter with Jesus had given him a new vision for his life; it has changed his life forever. He knows that God has a purpose for him and he is looking to find out just what it is.

Most of us look with skepticism at such extreme conversion experiences because they are over the top. Yet recall the words of Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.” We fail at times to remember that God is mystery. We simply cannot grasp the great love He has for us that leads to His pursuing us all the time, through … “the labyrinth ways of my own mind; and in the midst of tears” as Francis Thompson wrote in his poem, The Hound of Heaven. God is like a bloodhound, always tracking us down, right there beside us when we stumble and fall.

Today’s gospel is about this very point. Jesus goes out of His way to engage this Samaritan woman. The Samaritans and the Jews are religious enemies who hated and loathed each other because they differed on the proper way to worship God. (Some things never change!!) Jesus intentionally crosses the barriers of hostility to encounter this woman. He meets her in the midst of the crises of her life; in the middle of her life that has been filled with broken relationships, disappointment, alienation from her community; and He breathes new life into her, and through her, He animates the entire village.

By necessity we need to be advocates for those who are trying to put their lives back together after they stumble and fall. It is through their stories and their witness that we come to know the mystery of God’s love for us, His readiness to breathe new life into us. No matter what we do. No matter how far we run or from how high we fall. 

I believe we all have profound conversion stories of how God has come to us through our failures and brokenness. Perhaps, as we continue on our Lenten journey, we can reflect on how God is calling us to use these encounters to help Him breathe new life into others too.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom