Feed My Lambs
by Bishop
William K. Weigand
February 2, 2008
On the way to life in Christ Jesus
Lent begins early this year with Ash Wednesday coming only one month after the Epiphany, and only four days after the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. You might remember from last year, when we reviewed the historical origins of Lent that after the Emperor Constantine converted in the early fourth century, the church struggled to accommodate the conversion of most of the Roman Empire. The lengthy three-year catechumenate was consolidated into the 40 days of Lent, prior to the reception of the three sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.
Today, Lent has this same significance, as both adults and children prepare for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil (while the rest of us renew our baptismal grace). They begin by coming to the cathedral on the first Sunday of Lent for the Rite of Election. This is followed with special weekly rites and prayer in the individual parishes. For this purpose, the Gospel readings from St. John are of special importance on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent, which tell of the baptismal process of illumination in Christ. (For most of us, already baptized, we are encouraged to use Lent as a renewal of our baptismal life).
On the third Sunday of Lent, the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4:4-54) encounters Jesus on a hot summer day at the noon hour (when temperatures could reach 120 degrees. For this reason, all the other women in town would have go to the well early in the morning. This woman avoided them.) Jesus asks for a cup of water. She “explodes,” calling him “a man and a Jew.” She had been used and abused by many. Jesus knows this and addresses her history: five previous husbands and the current man with whom she is living is not her husband! Singed by the heat of her anger and embarrassment, she asks if he is a prophet.
He offers her the water of life; he offers her forgiveness and new life, not judgment. Under the troubled exterior, however, is still a good heart that just cannot help but long for love, acceptance and, yes, forgiveness. Her wounded heart is guarded but still good. Does she dare hope in the holy man’s life-giving water? Dare she hope in a Messiah? He says, “I who speak to you am he.” Why would the Messiah come to her? Bother with her? Think she was worthy of his coming? He finally asks, “Do you believe in me?” Now, she addresses him as Lord. All of her life, she has been an embarrassment, a human tragedy — until Jesus comes: “Do I believe in you? O yes, Lord. I do believe!” hen, she went and did something she would never do before. She talked to everyone in town: “Come and meet a man who told me all I’ve ever done! This must be the Savior of the world!”
On the fourth Sunday of Lent, Bartimaeus, the man born blind (Jn 9:1-41) encounters Jesus in a similar way. Jesus finds the blind man begging. He gives the man more than a few coins. He heals him and tells him to wash in the pool of Siloam (meaning, “He who has been sent”). The man does so and returns rejoicing. He can see. His neighbors and family, instead of rejoicing with him, are very guarded. The Pharisees did not believe he had been born blind. His own parents were puzzled. After all, he had been a reminder that they themselves were sinners. As for Bartimaeus, like the Samaritan woman, he first called Jesus a prophet, then Messiah, then “from God.” The Pharisees responded by throwing him out bodily. He was ready for Jesus’ question (the same as the woman at the well): “Do you believe in the Son of Man? I am He.” All his life, Bartimaeus had been a beggar, an embarrassment. “Do I believe in You? O yes, Lord, I do believe!”
On the fifth Sunday of Lent, the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11: 1-44) begins with a summons to Bethany from Martha that her brother was ill. Jesus was delayed, however, and arrived four days after Lazarus had died. Martha was frantic, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother never would have died!” Jesus assured her that Lazarus would rise. She retorted, “When, at the resurrection of the just on the Last Day?” Jesus answered, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Do you believe in me?” Her grief cedes to faith and she says, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, “He who is to come into the world.”
These three Gospel accounts are an invitation to all of us to renew our three-fold baptismal promises and to deepen our awareness of our baptismal life in Christ: “Do you believe Do you believe …? Do you believe …?” Like the Samaritan woman at the well, the man born blind, Lazarus and his sister(s), may we, too, answer: “O yes, Lord, I do believe! — Help me to live accordingly.”
