Fr. Michael Williams

At then end of today’s first reading the people of Israel ask the question: ‘Is the Lord with us or not?’ The People of God had been traversing across the wilderness, under the leadership of Moses, and they are well and truly fed up at their apparent lack of progress. It almost seems like the Israelites would rather have stayed under Egyptian slavery, because at least they had something to drink in Egypt! However, they seem to have quickly forgotten the crushing oppression they suffered in Egypt. They would rather go back to Egypt, than go on the journey that will lead them to a new found freedom, that the Lord is planning for them in the Promised Land.

The People of God (that’s us today) can still ask questions of the Lord now: ‘Is the Lord with us or not?’ We will especially ask the question when God wants to lead us to places that we would prefer not go to; when He takes us out of our comfort zones. God calls us to be a pilgrim people today. You are especially experiencing that call to be a Pilgrim People in these days of change for St Paschal Baylon. This probably isn’t much consolation for you now, but it reveals the authenticity of your status as being part of God’s Pilgrim People!

Ultimately, Pilgrim People cannot remain static, because God who leads us never remains static. We’re always on the move with Him. No doubt at some point in the future the Lord will call me to move from my nice little flat in Wavertree, just as I’ve got it how I wanted it as well! But God wants us to learn that our relationship with Him must be longer lasting than earthly dwellings and abodes! Our ultimate attachment must be the Lord.

And this is what Jesus was driving at with the woman at the well. Jesus wanted to take the woman at the well out of her comfort zone. He challenges her commandment breaking lifestyle of going from one relationship to another. He says to her: ‘You are right to say, “I have no husband”; for although you have had five, the one you have now is not your husband’. Pretty direct call from the Lord that one! But Jesus wants to bring her into a relationship with her Lord and Saviour, who wanted to liberate and save her from the slavery of her sinful lifestyle, which was leading nowhere fast. Jesus wants to get her on the road to eternal life

The Lord is calling us to follow Him. It always demands sacrifice and change. It demands sacrifice and change as a community of believers called the Pilgrim People; and it demands sacrifice and change as individuals in a relationship with the Lord.

So let’s continue to make the commitment to follow Him, ‘the Saviour of the World’. In the long run He is our only hope!