THE ULTIMATE WATER THERAPY

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is an established fact that the average adult can live for seven weeks without food, but cannot live more than five days without water. It was on the 22^nd August, 2013 that Kosiso Udemba published in the Vanguard online Media a powerful writ on the therapeutic effects of water. He began with creating awareness that drinking water in the morning after waking up have amazing therapeutic effects for a multitude of health conditions. What then is water therapy? This is a phrase used in describing the healing effects of the intake of water to the human biological and psychological make-up. Experts say one litre of water will have an astonishing effect on one’s health. Drinking safe water prevents a lot of diseases. The health benefits of drinking water are enormous. It makes one energetic. Early morning drinking of water purifies the internal system of the body and makes the body much more able to absorb nutrients from food. It is a powerful cure for arthritis, epilepsy, bronchitis, Tuberculosis, throat disease, constipation, diabetes, hypertension, and even cancer. Our body contains 70 percent of water. Our muscles contain 75 percent water. Our brain cells contain 85 percent water. Our blood contains not less than 80 percent water. Our bones too contain 25 percent water. Thus, we need water for the production of new blood cells and muscle cells. Water therapy helps with weight loss, increases the efficiency of immune system, and revs up metabolism.

Surely, I am very far from being a medical scientist. My exposition of water therapy has a purpose. If you have become aware that natural water does all this, you must now allow me to introduce you to another type of water which actually is the ultimate. It offers all that the natural offers and even more. This is the supernatural water. It supplies what the natural is unable to supply. The natural is limited, but the ultimate is limitless. The natural quenches earthly thirst, but the ultimate quenches heavenly thirst. The natural is beneficial to health and cures many diseases, but the supernatural is beneficial to our souls and cures many spiritual problems. Let’s go.

In the First Reading (Exod. 17:3-7) of today, the people of Israel murmured against Moses because they were exceedingly thirsty. They became aggressive, almost ready to stone Moses and even proposed that the land of Egypt where they suffered was better than being in the presence of God. They were thirsting for the natural water. I had thought to myself; if only the people can thirst for God and aggressively search for him in this manner, God would have removed all miseries from this earthly life. The Lord provided them with the water they asked. Of course, He always provides. But that was natural water that one drinks and thirsts again. It was one that does not in any way assure continuous thirst for God. It was not one that would totally make them not to thirst again. The Gospel completes this story of a great provident God. He does not only give the natural water which is needed for our bodies; he is ready to give, and indeed gives us the supernatural water which calms the cravings of our souls and spirits for God.

The setting and the scene of the Gospel (John 4:5-42) is quite interesting. The Jewish human Jesus is tired and had to sit down beside Jacob’s well. A Samaritan woman comes to draw water from the well, and a discussion was begun even though they both knew it was unexpected to speak to each other friendly. Jesus requests for a drink, even though he has been sitting beside the well before the woman’s arrival. The woman reminds him of his origin and the long rift (cf. 2Kings 17ff) that has existed between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus, who was unable to draw water from the well, even though he was sitting beside it, promises a LIVING WATER. The woman reminds him of the historical importance and sacredness of the well. Jesus insisted as someone who knows what he is talking about. The woman now asked for that water; so that she may not thirst again and may not suffer herself by coming always to draw water. Jesus makes her to understand what he actually means by LIVING WATER by leading her through spiritual discussions that uplifted her soul. She discovered Jesus was a prophet, asked further questions and ran to call others, and the answers and life of Jesus was so ground-breaking that it led to the appreciation of a Jew by the Samaritans who asked him to stay more with them. The Samaritans believed that he is the Saviour of the world.

What is then that LIVING WATER that supersedes the natural water the woman came to fetch? The LIVING WATER is not running water as the Jews had thought. For them, the living water was the water of the running stream as against the water of stagnant pool. Surely, the well was not a springing well, but one into which water percolated. To discover what this LIVING WATER of Jesus is, five things come to my mind.

The LIVING WATER is barrier-breaking. It tears down all form of aggression between people and groups. The Israelites drank the water at Massah and Meribah and never did they stop the revolt. The LIVING WATER of Jesus tore and destroyed the impression and aggression of the Samaritans against the Jews. It is from God and not from man; hence there is no boundary. It is from the throne of God himself that the river of life will flow (Rev. 22:1).

The LIVING WATER is universal. It is given to every human being; no segregation. Historically, the water at Massah and Meribah was only given to the Jews in exodus. The LIVING WATER is now given to all in transit towards heaven. The contact point of this offer is clear: a Samaritan who is seen as an infidel by a Jew. It is for all. To anybody that is thirsty, I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life (Rev. 21:6).

The LIVING WATER quenches the thirst for sin. Having made the woman to understand that she has actually no husband due to her waywardness, the woman lost the appetite for more men, and was keen to listen more. The LIVING WATER calls us towards repentance. The season of Lent constantly rings this message to our hearing to repent and become better. O that today, you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Psalm 95: 7-8). Having removed the thirst for sin, we begin to thirst for truth. 

The LIVING WATER is spiritual. True worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and truth. They no longer need the city Jerusalem for their worship. In the spirit, we discover our God who is spirit. Our souls are thirsting for the Lord (Psalm 42:1). Only the living water calms this spiritual longing.

The LIVING WATER lightens us. When the matter is sub-pedalled, the spirit accelerates. That is why the Church supports us to fast during this Lenten season. When we are more interested in spiritual gatherings and messages, we lose all the more the interest in the material distractions of this world. The disciples of Jesus brought him food and then discovered that he who was tired before they left for their purchase was no longer hungry. The discussion which was the Ling water has crushed material hunger in Him. He has eaten his food: the will of God. Drinking LIVING WATER is the doing of the will of God.

Doing the will of God is the constant intake of this LIVING WATER which is the ultimate water therapy. No type of water therapy can reach the standard set by the LIVING WATER. It is the only type that can calm our soul’s quest for God. It is the WATER that helps us to maintain our status of justification and peace with God as the Second Reading (Romans 5:1-2.5-8) maintains.  Natural water heals, strengthens and is inevitable for our earthly existence. So too, the LIVING WATER heals ultimately, strengthens ultimately, and is ultimately inevitable for our eternal life. Today, I wish you this LIVING WATER which is the fountain of life. As I cry out with the Psalmist: with thee is the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9), I declare with the Prophet Isaiah (49:10) that you shall not hunger or thirst of this LIVING WATER. This I wish you this week. Happy Sunday. God bless you.