Let's Drink

3rd Sunday of Lent A
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

The Samaritan Woman and the Water of Life

Water
Water is absolutely essential to the survival of life on Earth. Every living organism on earth must have water in some form in order to survive. Every living cell is composed primarily of water.

When space probes are dispatched to other planets in search of other life forms, they look for the presence to water to determine if life, as we know it, is possible there. Water means life.

Have you ever noticed in public place how many people around you are carrying a bottle of water? One can live without food for several days, but not without water. We cannot go for more than a couple of hours without satisfying our thirst.

In the first reading today, the Jewish people were desperate for water. When they complained about their water crisis in the wilderness, God instructed Moses to strike the rock and a stream of fresh living water gushed out (Exodus17:6 ). Even though the Israelites did not trust God to care for them in the wilderness, God, nonetheless gave them abundant water and provision through the intercession of his servant Moses.

Gospel message
In the Gospel today, we heard an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan women at the well. Jesus wanted to offer this woman the living water. Jesus is not referring to water that can satisfy our physical thirst rather water that satisfies our spiritual thirst. He is offering “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This symbolizes the Holy Spirit and his work of recreating us in God’s image and sustaining in us the new life which comes from God.

The long version of the Gospel gives us background of this woman. She was longing for happiness and satisfaction, which she couldn’t find. She has five husbands (plus she has a new lover) and they hadn’t brought her what she was really looking for. She is a figure of a human being longing for spiritual satisfaction but has no idea where to find it, until Jesus found her.

At the end of the long heart to heart conversation Jesus reveals himself to her as the Messiah, which in turn leads her to faith in him.

Human Thirst
Like the woman at the well in today's Gospel, we try every kind of water under the sun to satisfy our thirst. Later in life, we recognize that our “thirst” is far more than physical thirst — it's thirst for happiness, satisfaction, peace of mind. Sometimes we "get it right," but often we look for the wrong kind of water, and we look for it in the wrong places. We often spend all kinds of money and waste a lot of time, looking for something to quench our thirsts – drinks, food, work, looks, accomplishment, other persons, sexual pleasure, and so on.

Jesus - living water
Jesus offers us the spiritual water that really satisfies. He is offering us what He offered the Samaritan woman—water far superior to anything she had ever tasted or ever dreamed of.

Jesus never despised her sinful state or bad reputation; instead offered her “a living water” that will cleanse, refresh and renew her life.

Jesus understood her hidden longing even better than she did, and so he began to lead her to where he, the healer, could astound her by the truth that indeed he is the Messiah.
When she heard this, she dropped her bucket and joyfully ran back to her townspeople to spread the good news that she has found the Messiah!

Lenten Message
Lent is a time for us to let Jesus satisfy our thirst. Like the Samaritan woman, we find real joy and satisfaction in letting the Lord fill us with the grace of the season. Like her, we find that our joy is greatest when we were accepted despite of who we are.

Our relationship with the Lord is the water of our lives: essential for our well being and the source of our joy. Without the Lord we would wither away like dried leaves.

Only Jesus, always Jesus fulfils all our desires!

“Lord Jesus, my soul thirsts for you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may always find joy in your presence and take delight in doing your will. Bring me always the spring of water welling up to eternal life.”