March 8th
Third Sunday of Lent
“God’s Pattern”
During Lent this year I have been exploring the Devil’s four patterns of temptation as laid out by Fr. Cameli in his book, “The Devil You Don’t Know: Recognizing and Resisting Evil in Everyday Life.” So far, I have explored the Devil’s tricks of Discouragement and Division. Over the coming weeks I’ll be exploring the other two tricks, Diversion and Deception. The point of the book is that the Devil has a playbook, a pattern typically followed when trying to separate us from God. Understand his tricks and we can better resist his tricks.
I believe understanding patterns can help us achieve better outcomes. God has a pattern of interaction with us as well; we call it Salvation History.
Starting at the Big Picture level, the Old Testament presents God’s big template for engaging humanity through the history of the Chosen People. This template or pattern culminates in Jesus Christ.
Today’s reading from the Letter to the Romans articulates clearly this fundamental pattern of God’s engagement with us: “While humanity was helpless (belly-up so to say), the Son of God – according to God’s will and plan – sacrificed himself and entered our death to free us from this consequence of sin.” Everything before led up to this climatic moment. This is the Big picture.
But here is the important thing for us to see today: it is not just Big Picture stuff we celebrate today… God’s engagement through Jesus Christ is also a personal reality for each of us. Our Gospel story of the woman at the well shows us as much. Using my own life as an illustration, let me show you Jesus’ five-step pattern of personal engagement.
Step One:
Gospel: “Give me a drink.” “If you knew who was asking you…”
Pattern: God initiates an “ask” from an unworthy sinner. The sinner then recognizes God is the one asking.
Me: One day at UofK from out of the blue Jesus knocked on the door of my heart asking, “Why don’t you become a priest?” After running away from God like Jonah, I finally recognized it was Jesus that was asking.
Step Two:
Gospel: “Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this cistern?” “The water I shall give will become in you a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Pattern: We check out God’s credentials, test the water so to speak. God meanwhile shares His promises to us.
Me: I checked out Jesus’ credentials by living in seminary study and prayer for seven years. Through the monks I learned of God’s promises contained in scripture and Church teaching.
Step Three:
Gospel: “Sir, give me this water…” “You people worship what you do not understand…”
Pattern: We ask God for signs and miracles, for proof. Jesus responds with corrections of our perspective and challenges of our assumptions.
Me: On various retreats through my seven years of discernment, I asked for signs that I should go forward with ordination. Through the monks and spiritual direction Jesus gently corrected my many assumptions about myself, my Church, and my God.
Step Four:
Gospel: “I know that the Messiah is coming, he will tell us everything.” “I am he.”
Pattern: Ultimately our real thirst is named, and Jesus reveals himself to us.
Me: I came to name my real thirst… to see Jesus’ face. And through the past 33 years of priesthood Jesus has been revealing himself to me through my sacramental life with His People.
Step Five:
Gospel: “Many more came to believe…”
Pattern: Our encounter with Jesus inspires our witnessing to others about him.
Me: I continue to get up in front of the world and preach the movement of God among us.
Here is the most important point… neither the woman at the well nor I are special. Jesus wants to reveal himself to each of you just as much! Ask Jesus to reveal himself to you… ask and then expect his reply. He will, it is God’s pattern.