by Fr Francis Anthony
Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 18:8-11
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25
Theme: Believe in Jesus Christ and Live
Today is a joyous day for the Elect. They are coming closer to the desire they had to be a child of God through baptism. And today, in this Scrutiny, as I said earlier, all of us are here not just as witnesses to a function but one with them, praying with them, praying for them.
And in the 1st Scrutiny, what we are very concern is to have a spirit of repentance, a sense of sin and acknowledging our dignity as children of God. We are looking into this and they are eagerly looking forward in their prayer to accept God.
Today we had the long Gospel text and it is reflecting these Elects. They have come to the well of Living Water, right up to meet Christ. The woman went to take on the well water and she met Christ but she was not aware who He was.
Told him, “You are a Jew. How can you give me water?”
Then Jesus said, insisting that He will. “Are you a person greater than Jesus?
Jesus still carried on, “I will give you Living Water that you would not need to come here every day.”
Then the woman asked, “Give me that water so I would not need to come.”
But Jesus asked, “Go and bring me your husband.”
Then she said, ” I have no husband.”
Jesus said, “You are truthful. You married five times and the man you are living now is not your husband.”
Then she came out, “You must be a prophet.”
Look at the progress:-
You are a Jew.
Are you greater than our father, Moses?
You are a prophet.
That is what is happening to our Elect during this period of formation. Step by step they have come to recognise who the Lord Jesus is.
He is as the Gospel text ended:
He is the Messiah;
He is the Son of God; and
He has come.
And they have realised what we have in the Second Reading. Paul writing to the Romans: Christ died for us while we were sinners. And they are recognised that we have taken none other than Christ himself to die for me to give me that life.
So in during this process of your preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation, you have come to realise in a very personal way how God is loving you and that love has brought you to this church to receive Him through the Sacraments.
Let us thank God for the gift of Himself to all of us. Yes. It is not just ‘they’ but that is what happened and is happening to all of us. Let us thank God for taking care of us, coming to us and giving us His life.
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