In the third of her meditations, Theodora Hawksley is reminded by an everyday encounter that the Lord is ready for us long before we are ready for him

“Samaritan woman!” Sr Divya hollered, and the woman looked up and grinned from a distance. Each day, about noon, she walked past our house, past the tap that brought hand-hot water from the plastic bins up the hill, and down to the creek where the water was cool and fresh. She carried the bucket back up the village, water splashing down her leg.

From an early age, we are schooled to prepare for Jesus. It is part of our liturgy, and it becomes part of our prayer. When I was little, we even had a book called If Jesus Came to My House. If Jesus came to my house, I would be nice and share my toys. We would put on a gingham tablecloth and offer Jesus something nice from the biscuit tin.