Let the rivers of living water flow within you

Water is quintessential for life - and in our daily acts we are constantly reminded of the power it can cause with storms, flooding, hurricanes, causing landslides, even rivers and lake beds drying because of lack of water.  Water can be seen as a destructive element of the earth and as human beings we are united to this element that is the basis of life.  Yet we must be reminded that water is like our relationship with God too.  God and water are always surrounding us in our communal lives; water can cure thirst, clean and purify the body, and bring us to the renewal of the promise of Christ that we will have everlasting life.  Water provides for a bountiful harvest and in the first reading we are reminded that, “Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live” (Ez 47).  

During this Lenten season let Christ’s gospel teach us that water will bring us new life - it will replenish our body and heal our soul - that the purification and healing is completed through water.  It is what brings salvation to the sick man and finally heals him from his thirty-eight years of illness.  The challenge that Christ faced was performing a miracle on the Sabbath and for people to truly believe that He is the Son of Man. As we continue on our journey through lent, let us be reminded of the challenges also placed upon us.  Lent is a time to reflect on our relationship with God and the obstacles we place before Him.  This liturgical season should be a reminder of how much we are meant to prepare for God’s ultimate act and his promise to send us His Son for our salvation, and yet for me the daily test of how we may or may not choose to not be a disciple of Christ becomes the challenge. 

We know that when Christ cured the sick, fed the hungry, gave water to those who thirst, He also filled their souls with love and compassion.  He showed us how to be in communion with others and to accept love as a basis of life.  We too should be exemplary models of Christ and invite those who are in need and give of ourselves to others.  We can be open to growth and learn to listen to the call and respond without the fear or stigma that others have placed. 

Christ talks to all of us in many different ways, and the messages of love can be family members, close friends, school and work acquaintances, and even strangers.  Many messengers are sent to us on a daily basis and the challenge of lent is to see the face of God within them.  As the cured man said, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.’” Perhaps as Holy Week draws near, we should be reminded of our baptism and our renewal of that promise through confirmation and take up our own mat and follow Christ.

In this time of Lenten preparation, let water remind us of the birth, life, death, burial and lastly the resurrection of Christ - that we look forward to an Easter filled with happiness, hope, and love for others.

[Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, (1667-1670). Bartolomé Esteban Murillo]

Author: Raul Ornelas, Counseling Department