AUDIO MEDITATION:

Odilon Redon (French, 1840-1916), Christ and the Samaritan Woman (The White Flower Bouquet). Public domain.

FULL TEXT:

When he has the woman’s attention, Jesus tells her, “Go call your husband and come back. The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.”

Throughout this encounter, the unspoken barrier that prevents the woman from fully accepting what Jesus offers is her sinful history, yet Jesus doesn’t let even the past get in the way of her transformation. He has come to show her mercy and bring her light.

The paintings of Odilon Redon have been described as the “triumph of light over darkness”—he used color and line in a symbolic way to express internal, invisible realities. Notice how the woman’s face is well-defined—she looks dour and reserved. Perhaps she recognizes the truth of her past and is disappointed that Jesus can see it.

Jesus’ face is contrastingly soft and merciful—he does not stand above her to judge. There is some kind of exchange between them, a sharing of the bright, luminous life that wells inside of Jesus.

Jesus comes to offer us the gift of his life. Confronting our sinfulness—especially in the Sacrament of Confession—allows us to more fully accept this gift. How might we open ourselves to the merciful love Jesus extends?