POPE FRANCIS SUNDAY ANGELUS MESSAGE 23 March 2014, Vatican City. Now remember the two sentences : Every encounter with Jesus changes our life and every encounter with Jesus fills us with joy. Dear brothers and sisters, Todays Gospel presents Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman , which occurred at Sychar , near an old well where she went every day to fetch water . That day , he found Jesus sitting , fatigued by the journey (Jn 4:6) . He immediately said, Give me a drink (v. 7). In this way overcomes the barriers of hostility that existed between Jews and Samaritans and breaks the mold of prejudice against women . The simple request of Jesus is the beginning of a frank dialogue , through which he , with great delicacy , enters the inner world of a person who , according to the social patterns , he should not even talk to her . But Jesus does! Jesus is not afraid. Jesus sees when a person goes on, because he loves . He loves us all . It never stops in front of a person to prejudice. Jesus puts it in front of his situation , not judging but making her feel seen , recognized , and thus arousing in her the desire to go beyond the daily routine. That Jesus was not so much thirst for water, but to meet a soul withered . Jesus needed to meet the Samaritan woman to open her heart asks her to drink in order to highlight the thirst that was in herself. The woman is touched by this encounter : Jesus turns to those deep questions that we all have inside, but that we often ignore . We too have many questions to ask , but we do not find the courage to ask her to Jesus! Lent , dear brothers and sisters, it is the appropriate time to look inside , to bring out our true spiritual needs , and ask for Gods help in prayer. The example of the Samaritan woman invites us to express ourselves like this: Jesus , give me this water that I quench your thirst forever. The gospel says that the disciples were astonished that their Master was talking to that woman. But the Lord is the greatest of prejudice, why was not afraid of stopping with the Samaritan s mercy is greater than the injury. This we must learn it well ! Mercy is the largest of the injury , and Jesus is so merciful , so much! The result of that meeting at the well was that the woman was transformed , left her water jar (v. 28) , with which he came to fetch water , and ran to town to tell his extraordinary experience . I found a man who told me all things that I have done . What is the Messiah ? He was excited . She had gone to fetch water from the well , and found another water, the living water of mercy welling up to eternal life . He found that the water had been looking for forever! She runs to the village, the village that he judged , condemned it and rejected it , and announces that he met the Messiah, the one that has changed my life . Because every encounter with Jesus changes lives , forever. And one step forward, one step closer to God so every encounter with Jesus changes lives . Always, always. In this Gospel we find the urge to leave our amphora , a symbol of everything that apparently is important, but that loses value in front of love of God . All we have one , or more than one ! I ask you, even to me: What is your inner amphora , what do you weigh , the one that takes you away from God? . Lets leave a little by and with the heart we hear the voice of Jesus who offers us another water , another water that brings us closer to the Lord. We are called to rediscover the importance and the meaning of our Christian life , which began in Baptism and , like the Samaritan woman , to bear witness to our brothers . What ? The joy ! Witnessing the joy of Jesus , why did I say that every encounter with Jesus changes lives , and also every encounter with Jesus fills us with joy , the joy that comes from within. And so is the Lord. And tell how much he can do wonderful things the Lord in our hearts when we have the courage to put aside our amphora . After the Angelus : Dear Brothers and Sisters , Now remember the two sentences : every encounter with Jesus changes our life and every encounter with Jesus fills us with joy . Let us say together? Every encounter with Jesus changes your life , every encounter with Jesus fills us with joy . It s so . Tomorrow marks the World Day of Tuberculosis: we pray for all those affected by this disease, and for those who support them in different ways . Next Friday and Saturday live a special time of repentance, called 24 Hours to the Lord. It will begin with the celebration in St. Peters Basilica , on Friday afternoon , then in the evening and in the night some churches in the center of Rome will be open for prayer and confessions. Will - we can call it that - is the feast of forgiveness, which will also take place in many dioceses and parishes around the world. Forgiveness gives us the Lord has to celebrate, as did the father in the parable of the prodigal son, when the son returned home did feast , forgetting all his sins . It will be a celebration of forgiveness . And now I greet you all from my heart .
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 09:30:15 +0000
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