In tomorrow's Gospel we hear the remarkable story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Consider the narrative's apocalyptic aspect.
At the sixth hour Christ meets the Harlot at the well and confronts her infidelity with truth. Likewise, at the sixth hour, Pilate condemns Christ, and the followers of the False Prophet Caiaphas write the mark of the Beast on their foreheads saying, "We have no king but Caesar!" Again, at the sixth hour, darkness fell over the land as Jesus was crucified and Antichrist triumphs, for a time.
The woman at the well, curiously, is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church and is believed to have witnessed before Nero, a type of the Antichrist, before her eventual martyrdom.
God bless,
LSP
11 comments:
There is a general misunderstanding of who Samaritans were - a Jewish word denoting the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel. Inserting that fact into any discussion including the woman at the well, helps to frame the discussion better.
And of course, Easter is coming.
Never underestimate the power of the Woman at the Well. It always amazes me that it takes 5 years and $12,000 to make a bad marriage right in this day and age, but with Jesus' 5 words, he made a lifetime of slutty decisions all go away in a moment. I think we've lost a grasp of the concept of divine mercy and power. No wonder so many fall away from Church. Jesus' way is better, I think.
Thank you, Parson.
Padre,
your version and LL's are better than Father's homily was today, he didn't even go into slutty decisions...
Brig, it's your northern California clergy who are letting you down. Our Colorado pastor gave us lots of in-depth analysis of slutty decisions in today's homily. I learned a bunch!
Next week on LSP: "Woman at the Wheel: Hermeneutics of Women Drivers - Samaritan, Texan and Otherwise."
You're right, LL. And, of course, many of the 10 tribes were dispersed by the Assyrians around their empire and replaced by Canaanites, Philistines etc along with their Gods. So, Samaria become coterminous with blasphemous, adulterous idolatry, for which the woman at the well is an apt symbol. But, as a sinner who confesses the truth before Truth itself, she receives redemption. And on... quite a story.
Such a powerful Gospel, Grunt, at every level! It seemed especially so this year, I don't know why.
God bless, Linda!
Brig, decisions, decisions!
But I din't preach on the apocalypse, more on the need to repent in order to receive the water of life (divine/sanctifying grace).
Apocalypse would have been more exciting, maybe next year.
And Grunt, thanks for the hermeneutic key!
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