Readings from the gospel: Thirst, sight and new life

Published 9:46 am Friday, March 21, 2014

By The Rev. Mike Ellis, St. Theodore Catholic Church

The next three weekend Gospel’s from John give us a vivid imagery for our continued journey through Lent. The readings from this Gospel prompt us to reflect upon the images of thirst, sight and new life.

Thirst: The Gospel for the third weekend in Lent has us reflect upon the power of water. We need water to survive.  We all have known physical thirst, but are you spiritually thirsty?

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John Jewell tells the story of a young student who went to his spiritual teacher and posed the question, “Master, how can I truly find God?”  The teacher asked the student to accompany him to the river, which ran by the village and invited him to go into the water. When they got to the middle of the stream, the teacher said, “Please immerse yourself in the water.” The student did as he was instructed, where upon the teacher put his hands on the young man’s head and held him under the water. Presently the student began to struggle. The master held him under still. A moment passed and the student was thrashing and beating the water and air with his arms. Still, the master held him under the water. Finally, the student was released and shot up from the water, lungs aching and gasping for air. The teacher waited for a few moments and then said, “When you desire God as truly as you desired to breathe the air you just breathed — then you shall find God.”  This Gospel has us reflect upon our spiritual thirst and where we find ways to fulfill that thirst.  The only way is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sight: Most of us have had the experience of entering a dark room and couldn’t find the light switch. We kept feeling around until we found the switch. How many of us have been in a lighted room and we felt we were still in the dark.  John’s Gospel for the fourth Sunday of Lent has us reflect upon our spiritual sight.  It is the story of the man born blind. Jesus states early in the Gospel that Jesus is the light of the world.  In our world today do we depend on Jesus to give us light, or do we look to other avenues for the light?  When we look to Christ for the light we are able to walk with clear sight.

Life: In an adult education class I taught a lesson on the fourteen I AM statements found in the Gospel of John. Can you locate them?  One of them is found in the raising of Lazarus Gospel reading for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Jesus says “I am the resurrection and the life.” In this reading we reflect on the importance of Jesus being the center of our lives and what happens when Christ is not the center. Without Christ, we are dead but if Christ is the center of our lives than we have life and have it abundantly.

As we ponder these readings for the next three Sundays let us be mindful of our spiritual thirst, looking for the light of Christ in our lives and believing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.