WordofLife March 2008 “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jn 4:34)

WordWordof of LifeLife

March 2008March 2008

““My food is to do the will of the one who My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.”sent me and to finish his work.” (Jn 4:34)(Jn 4:34)

These marvellous words of Jesus can be repeated, in a way, by every Christian, and

if put into practice, they can help him achieve great progress in the Holy Journey

of life.

Jesus, seated Jesus, seated

beside Jacob’s beside Jacob’s

well in Samaria, well in Samaria,

was concluding was concluding

his conversation his conversation

with the with the

Samaritan Samaritan

woman. woman.

The disciples, just back from the nearby city The disciples, just back from the nearby city where they had gone for supplies, were where they had gone for supplies, were

surprised to find the Master speaking with a surprised to find the Master speaking with a woman, but no one asked him why. When the woman, but no one asked him why. When the Samaritan woman left, they urged him to eat.Samaritan woman left, they urged him to eat.

Jesus guessed their Jesus guessed their thoughts and explained thoughts and explained

the reason for his actions the reason for his actions by answering: “I have by answering: “I have

food to eat of which you food to eat of which you don’t know.”don’t know.”

The disciples didn’t The disciples didn’t understand him as they understand him as they thought he referred to thought he referred to

material food. So they asked material food. So they asked one another if someone had one another if someone had brought food to the Master brought food to the Master during their absence. Then during their absence. Then

Jesus openly said:Jesus openly said:

““My food is to do the will of the one who My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.” sent me and to finish his work.”

We need food We need food every day to keep every day to keep

us alive. Jesus us alive. Jesus doesn’t deny this. doesn’t deny this.

In fact, he is In fact, he is speaking here of speaking here of

food, and food, and therefore, of its therefore, of its

natural necessity, natural necessity, but he does so in but he does so in

order to affirm the order to affirm the existence and existence and

need for another need for another kind of food, a kind of food, a more important more important

kind of food which kind of food which he cannot do he cannot do

without.without.

Jesus came down from Jesus came down from heaven to do the will heaven to do the will of the One who sent of the One who sent him and to finish his him and to finish his

work.work.

He had no thoughts or projects of his own, but only those of his Father. His words and actions were those of the Father; he didn’t do his own will but that of the One who had sent him. This was the life of Jesus. Acting in this way, he was nourished. In so doing his hunger was satisfied.

He had no thoughts or projects of his own, but only those of his Father. His words and actions were those of the Father; he didn’t do his own will but that of the One who had sent him. This was the life of Jesus. Acting in this way, he was nourished. In so doing his hunger was satisfied.

Complete adherence Complete adherence to the Father’s will to the Father’s will was characteristic was characteristic of Christ’s whole of Christ’s whole

life, up to his death life, up to his death on the cross, where on the cross, where he truly completed he truly completed the work that the the work that the

Father had Father had entrusted to him.entrusted to him.

““My food is to do the will of the one who My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.” sent me and to finish his work.”

Jesus considered doing the will of the Father as his Jesus considered doing the will of the Father as his food, because by carrying out the Father’s will, by food, because by carrying out the Father’s will, by “assimilating it,” “eating it,” or identifying with it, “assimilating it,” “eating it,” or identifying with it,

he received Life. he received Life. And what was the will of the And what was the will of the Father, what was his work, that Jesus had to finish? Father, what was his work, that Jesus had to finish? It was to offer salvation to humankind, to give men It was to offer salvation to humankind, to give men

the Life that does not die.the Life that does not die.

Shortly before this, Shortly before this, Jesus had Jesus had

communicated a communicated a seed of this Life to seed of this Life to

the Samaritan the Samaritan woman through his woman through his conversation and conversation and

love. love.

In fact, the disciples soon saw this Life spring forth

and go out to others because the Samaritan

woman communicated the richness she had

discovered and received to other Samaritans: “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the

Messiah?”

In speaking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus In speaking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus revealed the plan of God who is a Father: that all revealed the plan of God who is a Father: that all people receive the gift of his life. This is the work people receive the gift of his life. This is the work that Jesus urgently wanted to finish, in order to that Jesus urgently wanted to finish, in order to

entrust it later to his disciples, and to the Church.entrust it later to his disciples, and to the Church.

““My food is to do the will of the one who My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.” sent me and to finish his work.”

Can we also live this sentence of the Gospel Can we also live this sentence of the Gospel which is so typical of Jesus that it reflects his which is so typical of Jesus that it reflects his

being, his mission, and his zeal in an being, his mission, and his zeal in an altogether special way?altogether special way?

Certainly! We also will have to live as sons and daughters of the

Father through the Life that Christ shared with us, and in this way nourish our life by doing his

will.

We can do so by carrying out moment by moment what he wants

from us, by accomplishing it in a perfect way, as if we

had nothing else to do. In fact, God wants

nothing else from us.

Let us nourish ourselves by Let us nourish ourselves by doing what God wants from us doing what God wants from us moment after moment and we moment after moment and we

will experience how it can will experience how it can satisfy us. It gives us peace, satisfy us. It gives us peace,

joy, happiness, and it wouldn’t joy, happiness, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that be an exaggeration to say that it will give us an anticipation of it will give us an anticipation of

beatitude.beatitude.

In this way, we too will cooperate with Jesus, day after day, in completing the work of the Father.

This will be the best way for us to live Easter.

““My food is to do the will of the one My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.”who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jn (Jn

4:34)4:34)

Text by Chiara Lubich