Called and Sent

 Last week I talked about the fact that we had the Rite of Candidacy at our mass on Sunday. This week we had one of the scrutinies presented at our mass. This is apart of the OCIA program, that these people who long to recieve the Easter Sacrements are called forth in the mass with their godparents or sponsors. With this, the readings from "Year A" are read. And so in lieu of that, we will be reflecting on the gospel of the Samaritan Woman, as used by parishes like ours.

So, I want to reflect on one of the principles we learned in our theology class, the designation of the dual actions of Christ. That is, being called and being sent. In the Gospel, Jesus calls to the Samaritan woman, first asking her for a drink of water. In response the woman kind of acts with hesitance. But Jesus says to her, if you knew who was asking you, you would know I have something better to offer, that he has living water to offer.

The Morning Prayer on this day uses and Antiphon identical to an acclimation used at Easter, "Springs of Water Bless the Lord, Praise and Exalt Him Above all Forever". In this way, the Samaritan woman, came looking to fill her physical hunger, or rather thirst, but found something much better. We see this in a very similiar way in another part of the gospel story, of the feeding of the five thousand, in which Christ, after feeding the crowds, tells them of the Bread of Life. Christ, says and offers this woman a greater refreshment than the physical water the well can provide.

Christ first calls the woman, and then the woman is sent in response. Not really a physical call, as Christ never tells her to go. But the woman goes to town, and an important detail is that she leaves her jar there, as she goes to talk to the towns people, to proclaim Christ.

Just as the Samaritan woman was called and then sent, so are we. We are called to acknowledge, like the Samaritan woman and the people in her town, we are called to acknowledge who Christ is. We are called to then also be that witness, as the Samaritan woman was.

Above all, we can see this calling and sending in the mass. As Christ says in the gospel, he is the living water, as he calls himself also the living bread. Christ is the puryfing water, the cleansing and truly refreshing water, which the woman recieves. Above all, our liturgy is called to center around who Christ is, calling us, to recieve him, and then sending us forth, "ite missa est". 

Calling and sending is the principle action of Christ, the calling he gives to all of us, and the sending out, the calling to be a witness of him. The Samaritan woman, like each of us, recieved a calling from God, a calling directly from Christ, and she saw in Christ, something much more than just another passing stranger, and she acknowledged this, accepting him, believing in him, and because of this she goes forth, she goes out to preach, and brings more people to accept Christ, to see in him the same promise that she saw in Jesus.