In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
BEING OPEN TO GOD
To be empty of all self-concern;
to accept quietly one’s own weaknesses and limitations;
to be empty of all striving and even thinking;
to be silent and open,
so that God can make his presence felt,
speak within us if he will,
though what he says may not be crystallized
in thought or word
until some time later.
At such times I become my authentic self,
as I am when the image of God in me
is allowed to rise into quiet, alert consciousness.
To be trusting,
patient,
unhurried,
expectant
and
receptive.
George Appleton
THE CONFESSION
Search me, O God, and know my thoughts. See that my path is not wicked, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139
We confess to you
our lack of care for the world you have given us.
Lord, have mercy.
We confess to you
our selfishness in not sharing the earth’s bounty fairly.
Christ, have mercy.
We confess to you
our failure to protect resources for others.
Lord, have mercy.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be lovingly merciful, Your love freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from enslavement to possessions; Your love made Peter weep after his betrayal,
Your love assured Paradise to the repentant thief.
Your love spoke to the Samaritan woman. Consecrate every one of us with The Spirit’s anointing, so that your Church, with renewed enthusiasm for things eternal,
may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore sight to those blinded
by this world’s views and values. (Prayer of Pope Francis)
A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?’ Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus replied:‘If you only knew what God is offering and who it is that is saying to you:"Give me a drink".
‘You have no bucket, sir,’ she answered ‘and the well is deep: how could you get this living water? Are you a greater man than our father Jacob?
Jesus replied: ‘Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give
will turn into a spring inside, welling up to eternal life.’
‘Sir,’ said the woman ‘give me some of that water, so that I may never get thirsty and never have to come here again to draw water.’ ‘Go and call your husband’ said Jesus to her ‘and come back here.’ The woman answered, ‘I have no husband.’ He said to her, ‘You are right to say, “I have no husband”; for although you have had five, the one you have now is not your husband. You spoke the truth there.’ The hour will come– in fact it is here already –when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: that is the kind of worshipper the Father wants. God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.’
The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah – that is, Christ – is coming; and when he comes he will tell us everything.’ ‘I who am speaking to you,’ said Jesus ‘I am he.’
At this point his disciples returned, and were surprised to find him speaking to a woman, though none of them asked, ‘What do you want from her?’ or, ‘Why are you talking to her?’ The woman put down her water jar and hurried back to the town to tell the people. ‘Come and see a man who has told me everything I ever did; I wonder if he is the Christ?’
I BELIEVE
Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles:
this we have received,
and this we believe.
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
When he asked the Samaritan woman for water to drink, Jesus had already created the gift of faith within her, and so ardently did he thirst for her faith, that he kindled in her the fire of divine love.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You
into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated
from You.
Give us and all who thirst for you that living water of your Spirit: water of refreshment, water of healing, water of cleansing, water of life.
The blessing of God
embrace you,
protect you,
inspire you,
empower you,
guard you,
guide you,
now
and
always.