THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Readings:  Exodus 17:3-7;  Romans 5:1-2, 5-8;   John 4:5-42

 

The scriptures constantly remind us of the continual and personal love of God towards each one of us. On the third Sunday of Lent the church invites us to enter into this love of God and respond to him positively.  God himself initiates the move in every person to bring them closer to him through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  One of the recurring themes throughout the Lenten season is the compassion and mercy of our God that conveys his love.

Repentance on the part of human person indicates the recognition of this love and his readiness to make reparations. This requires a spirit of sincerity and a sense of honesty to self and recognition of our nothingness before God. Once a person has accepted this change, God has a ready mission prepared for him to continue to spread his love. 

Today’s First Reading from the Book of Exodus tells us that God presented the people of Israel with living water from the rock. Here once again people exhibit spiritual weakness and grumble against God and Moses.  God displays great patience both with Moses and his people. As biblical history tells us, Moses did not trust in the Lord. Because he struck the rock twice, he was punished and not allowed to enter the Promised Land.

Today’s Second Reading tells us of God’s love poured into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us through Christ. The Divine love of God assures salvation to those who are justified. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus. Through our peace with God, our reconciliation replaces our alienation that was caused by the disobedience of Adam. 

Paul explains that Christ died at the right time for the ungodly as they were weak and were unjustified. All human persons were sinners, incapable of doing anything that could make them right before God. By the grace of God, all received the free gifts of faith, hope and charity that are instrumental in leading them towards salvation through Jesus Christ.  He tells them that faith and hope enable to be open to the love of God, the Father pours into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. 

In the Gospel of today, Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well and gives her the living water. With this she and the people of the place are able to trust and accept the eternal life he gives them. They recognize him as the messiah, the saviour of the world. Jesus promised the unnamed Samaritan woman the living water that will become a spring of water gushing up to eternal life and the grace to recognize who he really is.

Jesus uses the water as a metaphor to teach this woman the lesson of grace and forgiveness.  He speaks about the living water, which gives eternal life, divine grace, which is God’s life within the soul. Once she is given a share in the mystery, the Samaritan woman’s spirit is enlightened, accelerated, and illuminated by Jesus. She now realizes what it means to take freely of the water of life, which is the spiritual refreshment that comes into her soul after her encounter and confession with Jesus.

The woman thinks in human terms and hopes she will never have to trudge to the well again. Jesus now invites the woman to do something more, to come to receive the water with her husband.  Jesus’ mission to these people begins with reaching out to a family.  But she confesses that she has no husband.  Jesus reveals her true situation and now on she is the messenger.

The richness of the story is found in the dialogue between Jesus and the woman. It is a story about revelation, communication and relationship. It is also a story about God, Jesus and boundaries.  Jesus shows himself as the living water to be shared by all. This Story introduces many crucial themes that pan out in the rest of the Gospel.

The first and most important fact is that Jesus has begun His Ministry, and will impart His Word to people He meets. Another important issue raised in this story is the fact that Jesus talks to any person in society, ordinary or elite. The Gospel says that Jesus confronts the Samaritan woman at noon, which is the hottest part of the day, and an unlikely the time to draw water from a well. It is hinted at that she may be someone who is not liked in her community.

- @Avinash Bitra OFM Cap.