Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
How’s your Lent? There have already been a few days when I have found myself in the midst of a Lenten desert, grumbling like the Israelites in yesterday’s first reading, longing for something to quench my thirst. On others, however, I’ve been at Jacob’s well, with both the Samaritan woman from yesterday’s Gospel and Jesus, reflecting on the “living water” that only he can offer.
I felt blessed yesterday to celebrate Mass at St. Patrick in Edina: The prominent holy water font at the entrance of the church made it particularly easy to imagine being at Jacob’s well with Jesus. Every time that we enter a Catholic Church and make the sign of the cross with holy water, we’re reminded of the gift that we were offered through the waters of baptism. As I waited for Mass to begin, I noticed that the toddlers all made a beeline to the font—that should be our inclination as well. I found myself praying especially for the hundreds of catechumens, now more properly called the “elect,” who will be baptized in our parishes this Easter.
The transformation of the Samaritan woman after her encounter with Jesus can be a great example for all of us this Lent. Throughout the centuries, our Orthodox brothers and sisters have given her a little more prominence than we have, referring to her as St. Photina (the “Enlightened One”). In spite of her checkered past, making her relatable to all of us, the Lord lovingly brings light into her life. Having encountered the light of Christ, Photina gives witness to Jesus throughout her town, prompting many to believe the Gospel. For that reason, the Eastern Church also calls her “Equal to the Apostles.” (What better way to be remembered?)
While Jesus makes it clear that he knows her sins, he does not approach Photina to condemn her, but rather to invite her to believe in him—to have a relationship with him—and it is that experience, that encounter, that leads her to conversion.
Jesus clearly desires to bring us too to conversion through a loving encounter with him—not at a well but in the confessional! Lent in this Archdiocese is full of opportunities for that loving encounter. I was amazed this past Friday by the number of young adults who took advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation during the monthly Cor Jesu gathering at The Saint Paul Seminary. I felt so privileged as a confessor to be an instrument of God’s mercy.
I encourage you to encounter Jesus this Lent in the sacrament of reconciliation. He already knows our sins, as he did with the woman at the well, and yet he loves us anyway. That’s what he proved for us on the cross. We need to make the effort to come to him, however, if we want to experience the healing that he thirsts to give us.
Every good confession begins with a good examination of conscience, and for that, we need a good “game plan.” Perhaps the most common is an examination of conscience based on the Ten Commandments: Have we remembered to place God first in our lives? Have we honored those in our lives—mother and father, spouse and neighbor—through our thoughts, words and actions? This can be a very effective approach, but there are other ways one might make an examination of conscience.
For instance, we might wish to turn to the Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are the meek; blessed are the peacemakers—a calling for all of us at this time of violence and unrest in so many areas of our world.
Alternatively, we could walk through the seven deadly (capital) sins and see how pride, envy and other sins can creep into our lives and damage our relationship with the Lord and one another.
You can also find examinations of conscience specific to where we find ourselves in life, according to our specific vocations—singles, married couples, even youth and young adults.
One final tip: Examining our consciences isn’t just a task for the 10 minutes prior to confession. St. Ignatius of Loyola encouraged a daily examen, which combines gratitude, reflection and an opportunity to express our sorrow for times we have fallen short. This daily spiritual practice can help us be better in tune with our consciences, to be able to listen to the Lord’s voice and to allow him to shape our behavior moving forward.
Let’s pray for each other in this Third Week of Lent.
Join more than 86,000 Catholics receiving monthly Together on the Journey videos from Archbishop Hebda. By signing up, you’ll also receive his Weekly Word newsletter:
