June 22, 2022
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Does Christ Truly Live In Our Hearts?

Does Christ Truly Live In Our Hearts?

Iโ€™d like to begin by reading a meditation or parable about two different bodies of waterย in the Holy Land; itโ€™s called โ€œThere are Two Seasโ€ (S-E-A-S).

โ€œThere are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of greenย adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it, and stretch out their thirsty roots toย dip of its healing water. Along its shores children play.

The River Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in theย sunshine. And men build their houses near it, and birds their nests; and every kind of lifeย is happier because it is there.

The River Jordan flows south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no flutteringย leaf, no song of birds, no childrenโ€™s laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless onย urgent business. The air hangs above its waters and neither man nor beast nor fowl willย drink. What makes this mighty difference in these two seas? Not the River Jordan. Itย empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie; nor the countryย round about.

This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. Forย every drop of water that flows into it another drop flows out. The giving and receivingย go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It willย not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea ofย Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is named the Dead.

There are two seas in Palestine. There are two kinds of people in the world. Whichย kind are we?โ€ (a parable by Bruce Barton, quoted in The Pilgrimโ€™s New Guide to theย Holy Land, by Stephen Doyle, pp. 136 โ€“ 137).

Water is a symbol of lifeโ€”but life, like everything else, can be wasted. Rather thanย hoarding it, we must be generous in sharing our life with others and particularly withย God. The living water Jesus speaks of refers to His life within usโ€”and we must allowย His presence to be active and dynamic.

Our relationship with Jesus must be an ongoing process. First of all, we have to face theย truth about ourselves, particularly our sinfulness and our need for Jesus. In the Gospels, this is what the Samaritan woman did. She had an immoral lifestyle, and was shunned by the other women of the town; thatโ€™s why she came to the well at the hottest time of the dayโ€”she knew she wouldnโ€™t encounter anyone and have to endure any reproving stares. When Jesus challenged her, she answered honestly, and when she discovered He knew all about her sins, she didnโ€™t make denials or excuses, but openly discussed her faith. Because of what Jesus told her, she believed, andโ€”according to legendโ€”became Christโ€™s devoted follower. We too must be honest about our sins. Our need for Godโ€™s mercy shouldnโ€™t make us turn away from Him in shame; rather, we should turn toward Him in trust.

Secondly, if Christ is to reign in our hearts, we must try to overcome our prejudices andย our tendency to judge others. This is what Jesus urged the apostles to do. It was badย enough, they thought, that He was talking to a woman, but the fact that she was aย Samaritan made the situation almost scandalous in their eyes. Jesus, however, inย speaking of a field ready for harvesting, was telling them that all people are precious toย God, and that we, as His followers, must accept them and share the Good News ofย salvation. Therefore, we have no right to look down upon anyone; we must genuinelyย desire the well-being of everyone we meet, including those who are quite different fromย us.

Thirdly, we must experience for ourselves what others tell us about Jesus. Theย Samaritan woman described Jesus to the townspeople; they went to Him to investigate,ย and on the basis of what they learned, they believed. As they told the woman, they hadย come to believe for themselves, and no longer depended on her testimony. So it must be with us. We have received our Christian and Catholic faith from our parents, ourย teachers, and other important people in our livesโ€”but if it is to be truly alive, this faithย must become personal. We have the responsibility for our own relationship with Jesus,ย and only if we take this responsibility seriouslyโ€”through prayer, good deeds, and aย genuine commitmentโ€”will Christ truly live in our hearts.

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Written by
Fr Joseph Esper

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