St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

Drop the Jar, Carry the Joy

Dear brothers and sisters,   

      In our Lenten journey, we are led from desert to mountain, and to a well. Moses striking the rock for the thirsty people; and Samaritan woman meeting Jesus at the well; her deepest thirst filled her with greatest strength.

Thirst is a Signal: The Israelites are parched and complaining. They mistake their physical thirst for a sign that God has abandoned them. The woman goes to the well at noon to avoid the judgment of her neighbors. She is hiding her history. Francis was a soldier and a socialite. He was "thirsty" for chivalry, knightly honors. The thirst is a signal that you are designed for more than what you currently have.

The Shift: We often view our "thirsts", our feeling of "not enough” as failures. But thirst is actually a biological and spiritual necessity. Make a shift to grow. Jesus meets the woman exactly where she is hiding. He doesn't wait for her to "fix" her life. He asks for her help first "Give me a drink", honoring her dignity before addressing her wounds. The woman stopped pretending. She became an evangelist! The same with St. Francis once he met Christ, he made the shift to Christ’s invitation - build the church.

Drop your Jar: Once the woman encounters Jesus, she left there “jar” behind and went away with springs of water in her heart. “God poured out his Spirit" in our hearts. [Joel 2: 28, Rom.5:5]. Reflect on your current capacity for renewal. Identify your “rock”; and drop the “jar” of old hab- it or label you are carrying that no longer serves your life today. To receive the new, you must be willing to let go of the old “jar”.

Blessings!

Msgr. Xavier Pappu
                     Insert:  Giving to God/Dar a Dios.pdf

                                    Please pray for vocations to the priesthood,
                              for the Priests of our Diocese; & for our Bishop.

         Download our Parish Mobile App
                                                "MyParish"