Come see a man who told me everything I have done. – John 4:29
This week in our Lenten adventure we travel to Jacob’s well in the land of Samaria. Jesus stopped at the well and along came a woman coming to draw water in the middle of the day. The other women did this task together in the cool of the morning. But this woman was alone. When we hear about her life we understand why. It could be that the other women of the town made her feel shameful about her past relationships. Or perhaps her own shame made her withdraw from community life and friendship. This woman encountered Jesus in her moment of shame and He changed her life forever.
I see a scriptural example of heart-to-heart prayer in this passage. Jesus and the woman speak intimately, which is how the Catechism defines prayer: “a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God” (CCC 2558). Jesus and the woman talked one-on-one at length. They began by simply talking. But then Jesus moved the conversation to the cause of her shame: her five previous husbands and her current sinful relationship. He revealed profound truths of her personal sins to her. He ended by revealing His identity as Messiah to her. After this, the woman was so excited to spread the Good News that she left her water jar and went straight to the town. Nothing could stop her from telling others of her encounter with the Lord.
We can have this same experience when we examine our consciences before going to Reconciliation. We seek to encounter the living and true God, asking Him to reveal all that we have done. Later we make a good confession, telling the Lord all of our sins. How interesting: Jesus tells us what we have done; our responsibility is to tell everything back to Him. The woman leaving in excitement reminds me of how I feel after a good confession. I often feel a sense of freedom, knowing that I have experienced God’s mercy in a personal way. I leave with the joy of knowing that Jesus knows all that I have done and He loves me anyway. And now I’m telling you the Good News about my encounter with Jesus in confession, just like the woman at the well!