Saint Photina
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Jesus journeyed to a city of Samaria, called Sy′char, (today it is Nablus)…Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”…The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?...Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
“Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst…”
The Samaritan Woman has the one thing necessary – she has the right desire. She has a desire for the Living Water. She has tried everything else – and it doesn’t work. Now she desires God. St Thomas Aquinas was asked: “What does it take to become a saint?” He responded: Want it. Desire it. Then you will seek, and you will find it. Do you desire God? Do you want to drink of the Living Water more than anything else?
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Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband…” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet…I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”…So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and were coming to him. Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.
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From Tradition we know the name of the Samaritan Woman. Her name is Photina. She had five husbands and she was living with a man who was not her husband. But then she meets Jesus. She has no theology degree, no professional training; but she knows Jesus is the One Savior of the World. She goes immediately and tells her family and friends. Photina has the two great qualities which we need: she desired God. And the second, she is not timid, she is not controlled by fear. She has courage. We are not like Photina, we are too timid. Our faith was meant to be personal, but it was never meant to be kept private.
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In 66 AD Photina and her grown children, being warned that Rome was about to conquer Israel, left and moved to Carthage in North Africa. Her son Victor became an officer in the Roman army. A Government official and friend of Victor, named Sebastian wrote him, urging him and his mother to stop leading people to Jesus and to keep their faith private. As Sebastian was writing the letter, he fell blind for three days. On the 4th day he declared: “The God of the Christians is the only true God.” He asked for Baptism, after which he immediately regained his sight. Reports of this reached the Emperor Nero. Both Sebastian and Victor were arrested and taken to Rome.
Hearing this news, Photina and her family went to Rome, accompanied by many Christians. They too were arrested and brought before Nero, but they refused to renounce Jesus Christ and were imprisoned, were they continued to speak to the fellow prisoners about Jesus and converted many. Finally they were tortured and put to death. A relic of the skull of Photina resides in the Church of Jacob’s well in Nablus in the Holy Land. I have often stood before that relic of the Martyr, Photina, praying God give me and you the grace to have the same love and courage as Photina.
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Jesus gave us only one mission: to be a disciple maker. To be a Christian is to lead people to Jesus. If you are not leading people to Jesus, then what are you doing?
Well. how do we fulfill this mission? We need a way that is natural, normal, not in your face and off-putting.
I’ve tried a lot of things – most of which didn’t work. The one thing I find that works better than all others is to live authentic friendship with my family and friends and strangers. To personally invest in the people I care about. To spend time with them by sharing life together. To be interested in their lives and delight in them and to really get to know and understand, love and care for them.
If you know that I really know you, understand you and accept you unconditionally – and that I delight in you – then you will never be offended if I ask your opinion about what matters most nor will you be upset if I invite you to what is most important to me, if I invite you to pray the Rosary with me.
You know my love for you is unconditional – I’ve demonstrated it – so you know you are free to say yes to my invitation or no. But I am not timid to invite. Because I love you and you know I do.
Remember - Solitary embers quickly grow cold but a heap of burning coals quickly sets everything ablaze. Everyone needs a small group of family and friends with whom they can integrate their faith.
Once a week get together with family or friends – have people over for food and drinks, pray the Rosary and talk – its that simple.
Form your team, get a team, be a part of a team – but whatever you do – don’t let yourself be isolated.
In this decade ask the Holy Spirit and Mary to inspire you.
Then make a shore list of 4-5 people or couples.
Set a date and a place and then invite them to come and pray the Rosary with you and then talk about what you were reflecting on.
If you desire this and needs some help sign up as a member of the Movement and let us know and we will put you on a team.
I’ve got my team, who is your team?