Living Water

I came across this picture one day while I was looking for clip art to use in the bulletin for an item about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The title of the picture is Hatsuhana Doing Penance Under the Tonosawa Waterfall, and it is a 19th century woodblock print by a Japanese artist named Utagawa Kuniyoshi. If you are interested, there is a bit more about the print here, but what I thought when I first saw it was how well it represented what happens to us in the sacrament. That living water rushes over us washing us clean.

I've been thinking a lot about living water recently after having had a dream about a city in which water was flooding the streets. It was so beautiful. I realized that the water was approaching the doors of the house, but I was sure the people wouldn't mind because it was so lovely. And I thought, "living water"--like the water that, "become[s] in [us] a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14)--like the "rivers of living water [that] will flow from within [him, who believes in the Lord.]" (John 7:38)

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. -Psalm 51:3-4

AMDG