Like the woman at the well, we may not always realize when we are encountering Jesus. Brian Strassburger, SJ, reflects on how we can open our eyes and hearts to recognize Jesus in those around us. Based on the readings for Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Don’t judge a book by its cover!
Hi, I’m Fr. Brian Strassburger, and this is my One-Minute Homily.
We regularly make snap judgments about people, because of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
The Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well starts with a snap judgment about him. He’s a Jew. Why would he talk to her, a Samaritan woman?
But as their encounter unfolds, she gets to know him in a profoundly deeper light. She shifts from thinking of Jesus as a foreigner…to seeing him as a prophet…to finally realizing that he is the Messiah. What a profound transformation!
If we allow ourselves to get beyond our snap judgments, it can open our eyes too. Both to see the complexities of a person, and also to recognize the fundamental truth at the core of every one of us. We are created in God’s image and likeness.
So let’s take a lesson from the woman at the well, and engage in authentic encounter with people to see them for who they truly are.
