Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on the Gospel of John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

Dear friends in Christ,

In a quiet small town nestled between the White Mountains of New Hampshire, there was a dense and shadowy patch of woods that everyone called “the Hollow.” Folks in town whispered that the Hollow was a place where people could easily lose their way and never be found. One autumn afternoon, a little girl named Emily wandered too far while playing and disappeared into those woods. For hours, her family searched every inch, but she was nowhere to be found. Hope began to fade, and they feared she would remain lost in the darkness of the Hollow.

Then from out of nowhere, a local Sheriff pulled up in his truck asking what was wrong to Emily’s mother and father; they told him their daughter was lost in the woods. Calm and full of quiet confidence, he told the family, “I will go into the Hollow.” Some passersby warned him to be careful for it was a dangerous trek, but he stepped into the woods without hesitation. After a while, he came back, holding Emily’s hand. Her face was glowing with relief and joy. The Sheriff had brought her out of the darkness and back into the light of her family.

This story reminds us of today’s Gospel, where Jesus meets a man blind from birth—someone living in darkness, unable to see or fully experience life. Like the Sheriff who entered the Hollow without fear, Jesus steps into our darkness to bring light and new sight, revealing the love and power of God at work in the world.

Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on the Gospel of John 4:5-15,19b-26,39a,40-42

Dear friends in Christ,

Let me begin with a story. A few years ago, a young woman named Julia found herself standing in the back of a church, uncertain if she belonged. She had been away from faith and the Church for a long time. Life had been messy—disappointment, guilt, and the nagging feeling that she wasn’t “good enough” for God or anyone else. But one Sunday, driven by a deep thirst for something more, Maria slipped quietly into Mass. As the congregation sang, “Come to the Water,” tears filled her eyes. In that moment, she realized that God didn’t want her to be perfect—He just wanted her to come. Like someone parched in the desert, Julia longed for a love that would not run dry. She understood, maybe for the first time, that the well is for everyone, and Jesus is waiting for each of us there.

Jesus Welcomes the Outsider: The Gift of Living Water for All

Today’s Gospel gives us this same invitation. We find Jesus, tired and dusty, sitting beside Jacob’s well in Samaria. It’s noon—the hottest part of the day—and a Samaritan woman comes to draw water. She’s an outsider, both by her heritage and her personal history. Jews and Samaritans avoided each other. She comes alone, likely because she is unwelcome among her own community. And yet Jesus speaks to her—not with judgment, but with a simple request: “Give me a drink.”