8
THE ANCHOR .:..- Diocese of Fall River ~ Fri., Mar. 8, 1996
This Sunday's Message
by Dr. Patrick V. Reid
Is the Lord in our midst? Third Sunday of Lent Readings:
THE NEW Provincial Council ofthe Sisters ofS1. Joseph of Cluny are, standing, from left: Sisters Regina Brunelle, Luke Parker and Anne Lobsinger; seated from left; Sister Josephine S1. Leger and Sister Marie Cooper, the first American Provincial.
A historic moment for the Srs. of St. Joseph of Cluny
Exo4us 17:1-7
Romans 5:1-14
·"Is the Lord in our midst or not?" This question, which tested the Exodus generation in the wilderness and the Samaritan woman and her people, continues to challenge the Christian community as it moves toward the renewal of its baptismal commitment at. the Easter Vigil. While they live in the time between Jesus' saving death and the completion of God's kingdom, Christians thirst for the life-giving water of Jesus' revelation. The story of the water from the rock in' Exodus 17 has been chosen for its relation to the gospel selection where Jesus proclaims to the Samaritan woman that he is "a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Israel's journey from Egypt· through the wilderness is a time of danger and testing. As the Israelites mov.e from on'e camp-ing place to another, they encounter numerous obstacles: bitter water, lack of food and water. and the attack of fierce Amalekites. In most cases, they'are fearful and complaining, unprepared for the challenge offaith and longing for a return to the security of slavery in Egypt. In our reading they grumble against Moses and say. "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our, children and our livestock?" · Their whole demeanor can be summed up in the words spoken at Massah and Meribah as they quarreled and tested the Lord by saying "Is the Lord in our midst or not?" At this stage of the journey, the Lord cQnsistently answers I,srael's grumbling with his gracious aid. In our selection, he gives instructions for Moses to bring forth water from the rock "for the people to drink." . In the Romans, reading. Paul exhorts them to live out joyfully the consequences of Christ's saving death and resurrection. He uses several metaphors to' express the salvation available in Christ: "justified by faith," "at peace with God." "access to grace." Although in one sense Christ has achieved salvation for us, Paul is also aware that it is not complete. Christ's death has made salvation accessible. but the Chri~tian community must enqure in faith and hope until Christ's return. The source of Christian hope in this time of suffering and testing is what God has already done for humanity through the death of Christ. "But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (5:8). In the unforgettable dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. John presents Jesus as the gift of God who offers "a spring of water 'welling up to eternal life" to a woman who is both a sinner and outcast by the standards of contemporary Judaism. By the end of this long, but intricately interconnected episode, the woman has become an apostle whose testimony brings many Samaritans to b~lief in Jesus. ' The dialogue uses the typical Johannine instruc-, tional pattern of irony and misunderstanding. Jesus is tired from his journey through Samaritan territory and sits down in the heat of the midday sun at . Jacob's well inShechem. When he asks the Samari-
A historic moment in the his- phia. and Haiti and served nine tory of the Sisters ofS1. Jos,eph of years as Director of Formation in Cluny recently oq:urrcd at Cluny the Province. Convent. Newport. R.1. The torch Canadian-born Sister Anne Lobof leadership passed from Sister singer made profession in 1983. A Mary Glynn to Sister Marie Cooper 'graduate of Salve Regina College, she was missioned to Catholic the first American Provincial. The Congregation of Sisters of Charities in Los Angeles to work S1. Joseph of Cluny was founded as coordinator of yolunteers and in France in 1807 by Anne Marie as director ofa social service cenJavouhey. an intrepid Frenchwo- ter in South Central L.A. After a year on mission in Paraguay, South . 10·1t S fo un d a t'Ion man. Very ear Iy · the Congregation became interna- America, she returned to the Unitional. In 1947. the Irish Province ted States and is currently emof the Congregation missioned four ployed by Catholic Charities of sisters to S1. Joseph's Home for Los Angeles ministering tb homeBoys in Philadelphia. The Con- less, and runaway youth ,in the gregation has since 'expanded to Angels' Flight Program. California. West Virginia. Rhode Sister Luke Parker comes from Island. and Ontario. Canada. Connecticut. A 'graduate of Loyola Marymount University. L.A.. Sister Marie. a native of New . she has ministered in Hamilton. York City. became a member of Ontario where she taught in St. the Congregation.in 1964. A gradJoseph's School. She subsequently went to St. Catherine School in uate of Salve Regina College. in Newport. she served in California.. Torrance, Cal. where slie taught Newport and' most recently in West· V' .. I 1985 h I d and became principal. Later. she IrglOIa. n . s e compete served in the Religious Education REVERE, Mass. (CNS) - A an M.T..S. de~r~e at WashlOgt.on Guidance and Counseling ProFranciscan preacher fs urging Theologlc~1 .U11I0n. after Whl~h., gram in St. Jean de Brebeuf High Catholics to write to U.S. soldiers School in Hamilton: she was mlssloned to Appalachia. · in Bosnia-Herzegoviria during Lent. For the.past ten ye~rs she has been Sister Josephine St. J-.eger was And (or,those looki~g for letter-. Pa,rochlal . C~ordlO.ator. at _S,t... born in County C.lare. Ireland. A. writing tips, Father, Bede Ferrara J~sep~ ParISh 10 Whitesville. West graduate of the University of San hasa suggestion - read,the letters VlfglOl~ where she. aI,so ,~oIJab.o- • Diego, she was ipvolved for sev- of the New Testament. ' rated With the I?cal people.1O SOCial eral years in education at Sts. · "Instead, of giving up something outreach and 10 .economlc develPeter' and Paul School in Wil~for Lent: why not do something to 0p/Tlent p'rograms. mington, Cal. and' St. Catherine :help humanity and -make the world The new Provincial' Council Labou'~e School in T0rrance ,Cal. a better place by writing to our t'~' 1958. 'sh~ 'was one 'of til four troops in Bosnia,",he said. "A letmembers are: Sister Regina Brunelle. a native founding members of the Hamil- ter from home would lift the spirits, of, New Hampshire, is currently, ton, Ontario Community,' teach- of our service people." ministe'ring :i~ Lincoln County, -ing in-St. Joseph School. She then There are more than'20,OOOU .S. W~st Virginia, whe'reshe is involved took u'p a' teaching position at ,men and women serving in Operain communi,ty development and Cluny School, Newport. R.i.. while 'tion Joint Endeavor, he said. outreach. She is also onthe staff at also serving as an assistan't in the Father Ferrara said that during the local mental health clinic as a Novitiate. Sister Josephine was the Persian Gulf War. he wrote to mental health therapist. A gradu- Principal of Cluny S~hool from about 500 service people, many of ate of Salva' Regina College, she 1979-1991. She is currently Pas- whom told the priest, how happy was preViously involved in educa-' toral Associate in St. Augustin they were to hear that peop!~ in the Pa~ish: Newport, R.1. . ti.on in Newport. R.I.. PhiladelUnited States were praying for
Priest
John 4:5-42 tan woman for a drink, she apparently refuses and points out the well-known antipathy between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus then challenges her to request the "living water" which he can give as God's gift (salvation). Ironically, she thinks Jesus is referring to running spring water and points out that he has no bucket to draw water from the deep well and that he is surely not greater than the Samaritans' ancestor Jacob who founded this well. Jesus then replies that the water he gives will overcome thirst and become "a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The Christian reader understands this as a beautiful description of baptism, but when the woman still interprets his language on a natural level, Jesus offers her a sign of his superhu'man knowledge of her sinful past. This moves the woman to recognize Jesus as a prophet, and she proceeds to question him about whether the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim or the Jewish temple in Jerusalem is the proper locale for worship. Jesus responds by proclaiming that an hour is coming when authentic worship of the :Father, will not depend upon locale, but will be done "in Spirit and truth" (a reference to the gift of God's love through the Son). With this revelation, the woman realizes that God's Messiah may be standing before her, and, with Jesus' proclamation that "I am he" ringing in her ears, she leaves her now useless water jar to invite the townspeople to see the man "who told me everything I have done." By the end of the episode the Samaritan woman has become a full believer and selfeffacing apostle to others. Many Samaritans bf:gin to believe on the basis of her testimony, but others come to believe in Jesus on the basis of his word. The Samaritan woman, like John the Baptist (3:22-30), must rejoice greatly as she decreases when Jesus increases. "
Daily Readings Mar. 11: 2 Kgs 5:1-15a; Ps 42:2-3;43:~1-4; lk 4:24-30 Mar. 12: On 3:25,34-43; Ps 25:4-9; Mt 18:21-35 Mar. 13: Ot 4:1,5-9; Ps 147:12-13,1516,19-20; Mt 5:17-19 Mar. 14: Jer 7:23-'28; Ps 95:1-2,6-9; lk 11:14-23 Mar. 15: Hos 14:2-10; Ps 81:6-11,14,17; Mk 12:28b-34 Mar. 16: Hos 6:1-6; Ps 51:3-4,18-21; lk 18:9-14 Mar. 17: 1 Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a; Ps 23:16; [ph 5:8-14; In 9:1-41 or9,:1,6-9,13-17,:J438
sugg~sts Lenten
letters to Bosnia,
Army, Air Forcebr Marine Corps: them and concer'ned about their Any Service Member, Operation welfare. With every letter, send a prayer, . Joint Endeavor, APO AE 09397. - To write to Navy and Marine the priest said. Like the New TesCorps personnel aboard ships tament letters, start off with a greeting, some sort of thanksgiv- ,supporting the Bosnia mission: Any ,Service Member, Operation ;Ioint ing and a prayer, he,said." , The letters should express joy, Endeavor, FPO AE 09398, - To write to family merr.,bers , love arid can: and'show hope an'd encouragement, regardl~ss of ,the of troops,deployed in the aaH:ans: conditions in Bosriia, Father Fer- Any Family Member, Opers;tion, Joint Endeavor, APO AE 09399. rara said. , Postage for it letter is the regular "You are helping a nation t~ recover and bring pea'ce to a war- 32 cents. If you send a package. torn' country," he said the troops Father Ferrara said, make it not 'should be told. "Patience, endu-' . bigger than a shoe box. rance, faithfulness. to your profession and love of your country and' family should be addressed." "The Son of Man has For those without friends or family members serving in Bosnia, come to search o,ut an~ he provided the following adsave what was lost" dresses: . Lk 1!I:I0 --.:.. To write to members of the
The Word of the Lor,d