Mary- the Best of Mothers

I stated in the introduction to the blog series that St. Faustina’s Diary pushed me into the arms of Christ. While I was gaining a better understanding of Christ’s relationship with me, I was also awestruck by how incredible His Mother is (again).

I don’t think there are adequate words to describe how amazing she is. “Amazing” just seems blah when talking about her, but so do “remarkable,” “wonderful,” and “marvelous.” No wonder she has so many titles.

It should not surprise you that St. Faustina was visited by Our Lady multiple times, and of course the saint wrote down everything Our Blessed Mother said to her. Which is fantastic for us because we get to read it and be reminded of how incredible she is and how blessed we are to have her as a mother.
Here are some of St. Faustina’s encounters with Our Lady.

(25) “Mary, my Mother, do you know how terribly I suffer?” And the Mother of God answered me, “I know how much you suffer, but do not be afraid. I share with you your suffering, and I shall always do so.” She smiled warmly and disappeared.

(330) “I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy and your Mother.”

(449) “I am Mother to you all, thanks to the unfathomable mercy of God. Most pleasing to Me is the soul which faithfully carries out the will of God…Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this way you will be victorious.”

(608) The most Holy Mother said to me, “Take my Dearest Treasure.” And She handed me the Infant Jesus.

(786) As I continued Vespers, meditating on this mixture of suffering and grace, I heard the voice of Our Lady, “Know, My daughter, that although I was raised to the dignity of Mother of God, seven swords of pain pierced My heart. Don’t do anything to defend yourself; bear everything with humility; God Himself will defend you.”

(1414) Smiling at me She said to me, “My daughter, at God’s command I am to be, in a special and exclusive way your Mother; but I desire that you, too, in a special way, be My child.”

(1415) “I desire, My dearly beloved daughter, that you practice the three virtues that are dearest to Me – and most pleasing to God. The first is humility, humility, and once again humility; the second virtue, purity; the third virtue, love of God. As My daughter, you must especially radiate with these virtues.”

(686) In the evening, I saw the Mother of God, with Her breast bared and pierced with a sword. She was shedding bitter tears and shielding us against God’s terrible punishment. God wants to inflict terrible punishment on us, but He cannot because the Mother of God is shielding us. Horrible fear seized my soul. I kept praying incessantly for Poland…If it were not for the Mother of God, all our efforts would be of little use.

We must never forget the fierce motherly love Our Lady has for each of us. She comes to each of us individually as our Mother with a message of pure and true love. She is not confined to a small corner of heaven, kept out of sight now that her earthly mission is “done.” Mary is a busy Queen, she is actively interceding in our lives. Her motherly heart did not cease to beat at the crucifixion, rather, as Pope Francis says in his homily on Jan. 1, 2013, “Her sorrowing heart was enlarged to make room for all men and women, all, whether good or bad, and she loves them as she loved Jesus.”

When we see Our Lady’s strength, gentleness, persistence, and love, how can we not run to her? As Pope Francis says toward the end of his homily, “To her let us entrust our journey of faith, the desires of our heart, our needs and the needs of the whole world, especially of those who hunger and thirst for justice and peace, and for God.”

And so I leave you with this prayer from the Diary,
(161) O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
Pure crystal for my heart,
You are my strength, O secure anchor,
You are a shield and protection for a weak heart.
O Mary, you are pure and unparalleled,
Virgin and Mother at one and the same time;
You’re beautiful as the sun, by nothing defiled,
Nothing is worthy of comparison to the image of Your soul.


Your beauty enthralled the Thrice-Holy One’s eye,
That He came down from heaven, forsaking th’eternal See’s throne,
And assumed from Your Heart Body and Blood,
Hiding for nine months in the Virgin’s Heart.


O Mother, Virgin, this will no one comprehend,
That the infinite God is becoming a man;
It’s only love’s and His inscrutable mercy’s purpose.
Through You, Mother- it’s given us to live with Him forever.


O Mary, Virgin Mother and Heaven’s Gate,
Through You salvation came to us;
Every grace to us streams forth through Your hands,
And faithful imitation of You only will sanctify me.


O Mother, Virgin – most beautiful Lily.
Your Heart was for Jesus the first tabernacle on earth,
And that, because Your humility was the deepest,
Wherefore You were raised above Angel choirs and Saints.
O Mary, my sweet Mother,
To You I turn over my soul, my body and my poor heart.
Be the safeguard of my life,
Especially at death’s hour, in the final fight.         

One

One of my favorite scenes from the Bible (are we allowed to have favorites?) is after the angel stops Abraham from killing Isaac and God tells the very relieved Abraham that all the world has been blessed because of Abraham’s obedience.

It always seemed to me so much more legitimate than the cheerleader-style chant “YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!!!”.

Because whenever I heard that I always thought-

FALSE!

God changes the world, and He can use YOU to be His hands and feet and voice.

Which is still a huge deal, even bigger and better than you struggling through on your own.

So it really didn’t surprise me when this came up in St. Faustina’s diary.

It just surprised me HOW MUCH it was talked about!

Allow me to list out some of the parts the world or specific people are blessed through St. Faustina’s prayers and obedience to the Lord’s will.

(39) When I saw the kindness of Jesus, I began to beg His blessing. Immediately Jesus said, “For your sake I bless the entire country”. And he made a big sign of the cross over our country. Seeing the goodness of God, a great joy filled my soul.

(198) On one occasion the Lord said to me, “My daughter, your confidence and love restrain My justice, and I cannot inflict punishment because you hinder Me from doing so.” Oh, how great is the power of a soul filled with confidence!

(202) For no other soul did I bring so many sacrifices and sufferings and prayers before the throne of God as I did for her soul. I felt I had forced God to grant her grace. When I reflect on all this, I see that it was truly a miracle. Now I can see how much power intercessory prayer has before God.

(320) Jesus made known to me how very pleasing to Him were prayers of atonement. He said to me, “The prayer of a humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws down an ocean of blessings.”

(570) “Out of love for you all I will avert any punishments which are rightly meted out by my Father’s justice. My daughter, I have inclined My heart to your requests.”

(719) Today, I heard these words: “Know, my child, that for your sake I grant blessings to this whole vicinity…For the sake of your gratitude, I will continue to bless them.”

(818) After Holy Communion, Jesus said to me, “I cannot suffer that country any longer. Do not tie my hands, My daughter.” I understood that if it had not been for the prayers of souls that are pleasing to God, that whole nation would have already been reduced to nothingness.

(961) PARAPHRASING: Faustina is told she can’t do great penances and mortifications for the time being. She starts crocheting and she decides to ask the Trinity that for every stitch with the crochet hook, a soul would be converted. Jesus points out this is quite a big request and she counters with He saved souls while doing the simple work of a carpenter. He agrees and grants her request.

(980) “My heart is pleased with you, and for your sake I am blessing the earth.”

(1078) “Host, dear to My Heart, for your sake I bless the earth.”

(1722) I heard these words: “If you did not tie My hands, I would send down many punishments upon the earth. My daughter, your look disarms My anger. Although your lips are silent, you call out to Me so mightily that all heaven is moved. I cannot escape from your requests, because you pursue Me, not from afar but within your own heart.”

AND THAT’S NOT NEARLY ALL OF THEM!

It’s so incredibly beautiful that the mighty heart of the Alpha and Omega, the Lion of Judah, the Savior, the Most Holy Trinity, is moved so greatly by the prayers of a simple, imperfect woman. She comes to Him in total love and is not afraid to ask great things of Him. For her acts of love, obedience, humility, and trust, He pours out blessings not only upon St. Faustina, but to the world. These times of blessings are not exclusive to St. Faustina, I believe it happens each time we choose to follow the will of the Lord and reach out to Him and others with unselfish love. We just don’t usually hear Christ tell us He’s blessing others through us. Often we never see or fully realize the fruits of our actions and prayers.

Always keep in mind that YOU are a blessing to the world. Your femininity, the unique beauty of the voice of your soul, these are gifts to the world, even if others do not recognize it.

I’m not going to give you a list with a headline of “WANT TO BE A BLESSING TO THE WORLD? HERE’S 10 EASY WAYS!!” That’s for you and the Lord to talk about together, because honestly He knows you and your life way better than I ever will.

So looking at your gifts and your vocation as a daughter of God and sister in Christ to all, ask yourself and the Holy Spirit every morning: How is God asking me to be a blessing today?

Then ask for ALL THE GRACES AND ALL THE BLESSINGS!!

Because you know you’re irresistible to Him.

When we go out and follow the will of the Lord unreservedly, the world cannot help but be changed forever.

Amen.

*I could/would love to talk forever about the beauty of women and how awesome we are, but Blessed John Paul II says it better than I ever could in Mulieris Dignitatem.

Add that to your reading list.*

*I came across this when going through the diary recently. Here’s a instance that just shows how cool St. Faustina is. Seriously.*

(320) After the adoration, half way to my cell, I was surrounded by a pack of huge black dogs who were jumping and howling and trying to tear me to pieces. I realized that they were not dogs, but demons. One of them spoke up in a rage, “Because you have snatched so many souls away from us this night, we will tear you to pieces.” I answered, “If that is the will of the most merciful God, tear me to pieces, for I have justly deserved it, because I am the most miserable of all sinners, and God is ever holy, just, and infinitely merciful.” To these words all the demons answered as one, “Let us flee, for she is not alone; the Almighty is with her!” And they vanished like dust, like the noise of the road, while I continued on my way to my cell undisturbed, finishing my Te Deum and pondering the infinite and unfathomable mercy of God.  

Oh Man...!

Ladies, I have earth shattering news.

Jesus. Is. A. Man.

You may be laughing at me, or rolling your eyes, but up until reading St. Faustina’s diary, I didn’t really believe it. Not that I thought He was a woman, but I wasn’t fully convinced that He is a MAN.

Over the years, I had heard countless talks/lines intent on convincing me of the manliness of Jesus. But no matter how legitimate the words were, I wasn’t completely convinced. In my mind He seemed so perfect that He was too perfect to be a “real man” somehow. That His perfection was somehow feminizing. That He was a bit of a push-over and probably never jumped in mud puddles or brought home lizards as a kid.

But then I started looking into His relationship with St. Faustina.

And I realized Jesus is a manly, manly, manly, MAN.

Not some distant, cutesy Jesus-is-my-boyfriend.

A. Man.

Like the kind of man who would wrestle a grizzly bear and win just for fun.

What really struck me was His wildness, that He really was the untamed Lion of Judah. But with His wildness, there was a great gentleness, one that was genuine and tender. These aren’t different factions at war within Him, He is one complete man. He took masculinity and perfected it, giving us the ultimate-ULTIMATE MAN.

Allow me to share with you SOME of the words He spoke to St. Faustina that convinced me of the manliness of his humanity.

(27) Once, when I was praying, Jesus pervaded all my soul, darkness melted away, and I heard these words within me: “You are my joy; you are My heart’s delight.”

(158) “All this I created for you, My spouse; and know that all this beauty is nothing compared to what I have prepared for you in eternity.”

(238) “My daughter, your heart is My heaven.”

(239) “My spouse, our hearts are joined forever. Remember to Whom you have vowed…”

(295) At that moment Jesus asked me, “My child, how is your retreat going?” I answered, “But Jesus, You know how it is going.” “Yes, but I want to hear it from your own lips and from your heart.”

(512) “You are My great joy; your love and your humility make Me leave the heavenly throne and unite Myself with you. Love fills up the abyss that exists between My greatness and your nothingness.”

(576) “My daughter, love has brought Me here, and love keeps Me here.”

(853) “My daughter, I too came down from heaven out of love for you; I lived for you, I died for you, and I created the heavens for you.”

(866) “My daughter, I want to repose in your heart, because many souls have thrown Me out of their hearts today. I have experienced sorrow unto death.”

(960) “…What are you thinking about right now?”

(1061) “Beloved pearl of My Heart, I see your love so pure, purer than that of the angels, and all the more so because you keep fighting.”

(1542) “Know then that I want you to unite yourself more closely to Me. I am concerned about every beat of your heart. Every stirring of your love is reflected in My Heart. I thirst for your love.”

(1669) “Heart of My Heart, be filled with joy.”

And if you need any more proof that Jesus is in fact a man-

(928) Then suddenly I saw the Lord, who clasped me to His heart and said to me, “My daughter, do not weep, for I cannot bear your tears. I will grant you everything you ask for, but stop crying.”

And finally,

(587) I suddenly saw Jesus in great majesty, and He spoke these words to me: “My daughter, if you wish, I will this instant create a new world, more beautiful than this one, and you will live there for the rest of your life.” I answered, “I don’t want any worlds. I want You, Jesus. I want to love You, with the same love that You have for me. I beg You for only one thing; to make my heart capable of loving You. I am very much surprised at Your offer, my Jesus; what are those worlds to me? Even if You gave me a thousand of them, what are they to me? You know very well, Jesus, that my heart is dying of longing for You. Everything that is not You is nothing to me.”

Oh my.

Pardon me as I blush.

Seriously!

In His relationship with St. Faustina, it is very clear He is a man who is desperately in love with a woman.

He even sends his best soldier- St. Michael himself- to protect His woman (706).

Sometimes when she feels surrounded by darkness or there are demons attacking her, Jesus comes out of nowhere and BAM! the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not/cannot overcome Him and then He holds her in His arms.

There are multiple times when Christ looks like He’s about to storm off and destroy Russia, but Faustina just asks Him not too and He’s all “Don’t tie My hands! I have to do this, I can’t take it anymore!” And she keeps asking Him not too and He eventually calms down.

Jesus is not all fun and games. Jesus can get angry. With righteous fury of course.

He is a wild man.

And He also invented poetry and chocolate.

I know we hear all the time that consecrated sisters are “brides of Christ”, but I suppose I didn’t really believe they were the SPOUSE of God. There were a couple moments when I was reading the conversations between Faustina and Christ, and the prayers she would write down, and honestly I would blush and ask myself- “am I allowed to read this? It seems private…” When you realize she meant every single word and it’s not just pretty words, it takes on a whole new intensity.

I’m still not sure why their conversations struck me so deeply. I’ve been told since I was a baby that Jesus died for me, which when you think about it is the most manly thing a man can do. Maybe I had heard it so often the meaning of those words unfortunately became muted. Whatever the reason, I was happily surprised it hit me the way it did, and I am very thankful for St. Faustina writing it all down.

I highly encourage you to sit with the words, especially her prayers she wrote throughout the diary, and go deeper in your relationship with Christ.    

I Read Her Diary

I Read Her Diary

I couldn’t help myself.

It was just sitting there out in the open, and I was curious.

So I picked it up and read it.

I finally read the Diary of St. Faustina.

I had this idea in the back of my mind the diary would just be a little spiritual supplement reading and I would walk away from it thinking, “well wasn’t that cute! Aw she loves Jesus so much!”

I was wrong.

It took over my life and opened my eyes to a whole new reality of Christ.

I first picked up the book in the last two weeks of my semester in Austria (shout-out to Austria Fall 2012!). I had experienced profound changes in my spiritual life and in my relationships with the saints and Our Lady by this time, but this book pushed me into Christ’s arms. I devoured it and read the whole thing within a few days (during finals week I might add).

I’ve condensed some of the main things I gleaned from St. Faustina’s diary down to some blog posts. I encourage you to read the diary yourself if you haven’t already (and rereading it is always excellent) and let the words sink in. Maybe have a sort of book club/discussion group and hear what impacts other women. Almost a full year later, it still thrills my heart. I hope this beautiful saint’s diary will lead you closer to Christ and allow you to experience His Love in a deeper and more profound way.

*Disclaimer*- These are my own reflections, I am no profound theologian and I do not pretend to be an expert in Divine Mercy or St. Faustina.

Let’s start at the beginning.

St. Faustina (then Helena Kowalska), wanted to enter the convent from the time she was seven years old. She felt in the deepest part of her heart that this was what she was called to. When she was eighteen, she asked her parents for permission to enter the convent.

They refused.

St. Faustina writes, “After this refusal, I turned myself over to the vain things of life, paying no attention to the call of grace, although my soul found no satisfaction in any of these things. The incessant call of grace caused me much anguish; I tried, however, to stifle it with amusements. Interiorly, I shunned God, turning with all my heart to creatures. However, God’s grace won out in my soul.” (8)

St. Faustina was out at a dance with her sister. Everyone else was having a great time, but her heart was heavy. As she was dancing, she suddenly saw Jesus at her side.

Not smiling-happy-Sunday-school-Jesus. He appeared to her as a crucified Christ, racked with pain and covered in wounds. He says to her, “How long shall I put up with you and how long will you keep putting me off?”

So that night she ran away from home and entered the convent.

This image struck me as much as His words did- How long shall I put up with you and how long will you keep putting me off? Christ isn’t chilling out, happy as a clam, saying, “Oh it’s ok dear! You just keep doing your thing and I’ll be over here. Don’t want to get in your way.” Jesus is suffering, He is in agony waiting for her to join Him with her cross that will lead to sainthood. He has called to the heart and soul of Faustina.

There is work to be done.

It is easy and sometimes even enjoyable to brainstorm ideas to grow closer to God. How often do we begin with enthusiasm for these new goals, only to gradually push them aside as soon as we have a big test to study for, or a crazy week at work? How often do we leave it as just a nice list of things to do? I am guilty of both situations. My most common line I tell myself is, “I’ll start that tomorrow.” But tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone. And Christ wants you NOW!

If we say that heaven is our ultimate goal, then why do we so often bump prayer and sacrifice down our to-do list? If God has placed a vocation or particular sacrifice on your heart, go for it with everything you have. How can we give Him less when He has given us everything?

Each of us is a unique soul with a unique purpose in life. Not everyone can be the Secretary of Divine Mercy like St. Faustina. But she also can’t be what you are called to be.

If you ever find yourself in need of motivation to really start living for Christ, or continue when it seems undesirable, call to mind the image that was presented to St. Faustina- a wounded Christ, waiting for you to walk with Him. May we, like Faustina, immediately leave our lives of procrastination behind and run to follow Him.

There is work to be done.

Femininity & Film

At our last event, Femininity & Film, we explored true femininity embodied by some of our favorite leading ladies in movies such as Pocahontas, Maria von Trapp, Belle, Katniss, Tiana, Eowyn, and Elizabeth Bennet. 
We put to rest the stereotype and lie that womanhood and femininity is a sign of weakness. Many of the characters we explored were all women who were willing to risk their lives and give up their freedom to save someone they loved. 
We also discussed the feminine genius: the woman's receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity. In their own way, each of the women from film embodied these qualities in the way they lived their vocation of radical love.
True femininity, as expressed by these women in the movies, is a real and radical way to love.  And the the good news is that it is livable for all of us with God's grace!

Check out these quotes that team chose to describe their favorite leading ladies in film:

• Maria Von Trapp from The Sound of Music: "Perhaps more than men, women acknowledge the person, because they see persons with their hearts.  They see them independently of various ideological or political systems. They see others in their greatness and limitations; they try to go out to them and help them.  In this way the basic plan of the Creator takes flesh in the history of humanity and there is constantly revealed, in the variety of vocations, that beauty –not merely physical, but above all spiritual – which God bestowed from the very beginning on all, and in a particular way on women." - JPII Letter to Women, 12
• Belle from Beauty & the Beast: "In [the] moment of danger, those who love much succeed in overcoming their fear." -John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem
• Eowyn from Lord of the Rings: "To be a mother, to feel maternally, means to turn especially to the helpless, to incline lovingly and helpfully toward everything on earth that is small and weak." - Gertrude von le Fort in The Eternal Woman
• Tiana from The Princess & the Frog: "Woman is created in the image of God. Like man, she is created for the purpose of knowing, ultimately knowing God. True feminism, therefore, respects woman's essential identity as an image of God. Where she differs from man, a true feminism understands that these differences are constructive and complementary." -Dr. Pia de Solenni, "Christian Feminism: A Fuller View of Woman"
• Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice: "The soul of a woman must therefore be expansive and open to all human beings; it must be quiet so that no small weak flame will be extinguished by stormy winds; warm so as not to benumb fragile buds; clear so that no vermin will settle in dark corners and recesses; self-contained, so that no invasions from without can imperil the inner life; empty of self, in order that extraneous life may have room in it; finally, mistress of itself and also of its body, so that the entire person is readily at the disposal of every call." - St. Edith Stein, Essays on Woman pg 133

Proverbs Says

Poem On The Woman Of Worth

Who can find a woman of worth?

Far beyond jewels is her value.

Her husband trusts her judgment;

he does not lack income.

She brings him profit, not loss,

all the days of her life.

She seeks out wool and flax

and weaves with skillful hands.

Like a merchant fleet,

she secures her provisions from afar.

She rises while it is still night,

and distributes food to her household,

a portion to her maidservants.

She picks out a field and acquires it;

from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength;

she exerts her arms with vigor.

She enjoys the profit from her dealings;

her lamp is never extinguished at night.

She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her fingers ply the spindle.

She reaches out her hands to the poor,

and extends her arms to the needy.

She is not concerned for her household when it snows—

all her charges are doubly clothed.

She makes her own coverlets;

fine linen and purple are her clothing.

Her husband is prominent at the city gates

as he sits with the elders of the land.

She makes garments and sells them,

and stocks the merchants with belts.

She is clothed with strength and dignity,

and laughs at the days to come.

She opens her mouth in wisdom;

kindly instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household,

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband, too, praises her:

“Many are the women of proven worth,

but you have excelled them all.”

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;

the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Acclaim her for the work of her hands,

and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.

Proverbs 31:10-31

My little sister in household shared something simple, yet mind-blowing with me today.  We were talking about this passage, the Poem on the Woman of Worth.  She explained to me, as she had learned earlier in class, that the author of Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman – “lady wisdom”.  The word Sophia actually means “wisdom”, and it suits then that Sophia is a girl’s name. 

The first nine chapters of Proverbs are about lady wisdom.  As the introduction to the Book of Proverbs says in the Bible, “The chapters personify wisdom as a woman and draw an extended analogy between finding a wife, or founding and maintaining a household, and finding wisdom.”

My little sister then continued, saying that the author concluded with the Poem on the Woman of Worth for a reason.  The author was looking for the perfect example of wisdom; he searched the towns for the wisdom of the scribes and the elders.  Yet, in the end, he recognized wisdom in the woman, the wife. 

My sisters in Christ, let us rid ourselves of self-criticism, insecurity, and self-pity.  And let us move into strength, dignity, fear of the Lord, and laughter. This poem on the Woman of Worth is Christ’s praise to us.  This doesn’t come without exercising virtue but with Mary as our perfect model and teacher, quickly we will learn.  Our value is far beyond jewels…

May Mary’s Heart guide you,

Sierra

"Give me a drink"

A little while ago I was praying with the scripture passage about the woman at the well. It has always been one of my favorites, but I never really thought about why. So when we learned about lectio divina in our Women’s Ministry meeting, I decided this was as good an opportunity as any to really dive into this passage and see what about it struck me so positively. 

I had read a commentary once on this passage that explains that the Samaritan woman was ostracized from the rest of the women in her town.  All the other women go to the well together in the mornings.  This is one of the great duties and honors in being a woman.  They create a community together of support and intimacy.  They converse over the latest gossip in the town.  However, the Samaritan woman is shamed because of her sins - 5 husbands? and currently living with a man who is not her husband? I can only imagine the things being whispered about her throughout the town.  I’m sure much of the shallow gossip being talked about among the other town wives was about the samaritan woman. 

How well she must have understood how it felt to be excluded.  Should she attempt to go to the well while the other women were there, what do you expect she’d find? I imagine there is great chatter that ceases when she approaches.  Those looks of being “caught-in-the-act” plastered over the women’s faces.  All eyes look at her and then quickly avert their gaze. The silence speaks volumes.  

Then as she draws water there are hushed whispers and dirty looks.  She leaves, realizing she isn’t welcome, and as she walks away, the chatter grows louder.  Most likely she hears a few thrown out insults that the speaker hasn’t cared to keep low enough to go unheard.  

It’s no wonder she goes to the well alone after all the other women have left.  But! If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have encountered Christ in such a beautiful and unique way!  This thought brings me so much hope!  It is exactly by and through our sufferings and our trials that we are brought to meet Christ face to face.  Without them, we might live our whole lives in ignorance to His presence.  He could wait at the well forever, and we wouldn’t notice He was there.   

One thing that really struck me was what Christ was asking the woman. He says to her, "Give me some water."  Rather than a demand, which I had always pictured it, I realized it is actually an invitation - an invitation to perform those very acts of womanhood that she has been denied.  Providing life-sustaining nourishment (water) is a great honor to women, especially at this historical time.   

This nourishing spirit and maternal heart are constant in every woman - yes they are manifested in different ways, yet every woman has these dispositions within her.  By being denied the task of drawing water from the well with the other women and providing nourishment for her home, the samaritan woman’s very dignity and identity as a woman is denied as well.  

Christ’s invites her to re-establish her feminine role, and in doing so, he gives attention to the dignity and worth she has as a woman - He is implying that she is worthy of providing nourishment to Him.  This is why the woman becomes confused as to why He, a Jew, is asking her, a samaritan, for water.  If this was simply a task to satisfy His own needs, Christ’s request of her drawing water would be almost degrading - treating her like a servant sent to do His bidding, but that’s not what He is saying at all.  He is honoring her by asking her the favor of living out her femininity and giving nourishment to His life.

Check this video out:


Despite her sins and shortcomings, Christ shows her that she still possesses this innate value of being woman, because that is how He created her.  She does not make her own worth, He has given it to her as a gift, just as He does with each of us.  What a comfort this Truth is. 


Carrie