Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

 

How can I live according to Your commands in today’s world?

Fr. Symeon Kragiopoulos

Someone could address God and say: “My God, how can someone live according to your commands in today’s world, which is so barbaric, so savage and resembles a jungle?” But God would say to us: “Yes, you may have a point there, but you are seeing things wrong. Other people before you lived in a worse world, at worse times, with martyrdoms and persecutions. And yet, not only were they not prevented by these, but, paradoxically, all these misfortunes contributed in such a way, that they became mine more, believed in me more, trusted in me, dedicated themselves to me, became devoted to me, and I sanctified them.” When you do something before God because you like it and not because it is pleasing Him, it means there is a weakness there.

 

Sunday of the Samaritan

 

Racism is a very sad thing in our society. Why should someone be made fun of or even abused because of the color of their skin? God made all human beings in His image and likeness, and yet there are some people that do not see things this way. Jesus shows us in today’s Gospel that we should love everyone, regardless of race or social class.
In Jesus’ day, Jews and Samaritans were not on “speaking terms”; it was so bad, that each party denied the other of being ‘blessed by God’. What a tragedy it is for people to decide what God is going to do! And yet, that is what happened.
Jesus puts an end to this by doing something unheard of. When His disciples went into the city, Jesus saw a Samaritan woman. Now, if He was to follow protocol from back then, He wouldn’t have even talked to her; yet, He did more than this. He asked her for a drink of water, to which she said “forget it” (in a nice way). Jesus, though, promised her “living water”. She thought that it was this kind of “special water” that she would drink and never get thirsty again. Jesus told her that it is more than this. We know today that this “living water” is Jesus Himself, which we receive at every Divine Liturgy by Holy Communion. She told Jesus that the Messiah was to come, to which Jesus gave her the biggest surprise: “I Am He, who is talking to you!” (John 4:26) All of the Samaritans came to meet Jesus, and He stayed with them a few days.
This is a very important lesson for us, since it shows us that we might not think God is there, but He might be staring us right in the face. We need to look with the eyes of our soul and ask for God’s help. This Samaritan woman became a Saint (St. Photini) and died for Christ. We need to be like St. Photini and receive this “living water” as often as possible, so we can be close to Him who saves us.

 

No one should wish to be saved alone

(St. Porphyrios, Wounded by Love, p. 89)

 

On my own I am not the Church, but together with you. All together we are the Church. All are incorporated in the Church. We are all one and Christ is the head. … The important thing is for us to enter into the Church – to unite ourselves with our fellow men, with the joys and sorrows of each and everyone, to feel that they are our own, to pray for everyone, to have care for their salvation, to forget about ourselves, to do everything for them just as Christ did for us. In the Church we become one with each unfortunate, suffering and sinful soul. No one should wish to be saved alone without all others being saved.