The readings for Third Sunday or Lent may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031223.cfm
Is anyone thirsty?
I am, and not just from today’s lengthy gospel reading!
The readings this week have me thinking about water.
Sparkling, bottled, distilled, tap, tonic, drinking, mineral, smart.
You can probably think of more.
Water from the rock of Horeb in our first reading from Exodus.
The love of God being poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, like water in our second reading from St. Paul.
And St. John’s retelling of the Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus speaks to about living water.
This well is notable, not because it’s been around for four thousand years and still exists today, but because Jesus’ talk with the Samaritan woman happened there.
As we know, Jesus was a Jew. Jews didn’t talk to Samaritans.
Jews considered them unclean. In the social order, Samaritans were no better than street dogs.
At that time, Jewish men also didn’t speak publicly with women.
So Jesus crossed gender and racial lines to talk to her.
It might surprise you to realize we have a lot in common with this woman.
In today’s world, isn’t it all the more amazing that Jesus wants to talk to us, to love us?
As compared to Him, aren’t we all unclean?
Yet, He desperately wants us to be in more intimate relationship with Him.
But we get in the way.
We know our faults, we hide them and the devil does his part to convince us we are beyond hope and to focus on our shame.
To keep us separated from God.
But, here’s a little secret.
Jesus knows us better than we do.
Like this woman at the well, we need to talk to Jesus.
And not just by repeating the same prayers robotically like we’ve been doing since we were eight.
We need to find a quiet place, everyday, to reflect on Him and to talk to Him about our day or whatever.
We must develop a closer, more intimate relationship with Him.
It takes very little effort, really.
And if we think we don’t have the time in our busy lives to do this, we need even more to make this time!
Like the Samaritan woman, we need to talk to Jesus.
So then Jesus asks about her husband, though he knows her history without even having to ask.
With one question he exposes her sin.
And that can be unsettling, because we all have sins.
This woman has led an immoral life.
But when asked, she’s honest.
She doesn’t try to hide it.
And that’s a critical step in finding living water for our thirsty soul.
We must regularly do an honest examination of conscience and make a good sacramental confession.
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
Notice that Jesus doesn’t shake his finger in her face and give her a lecture on what an evil person she is.
In confession, a priest, acting in persona Christi won’t either.
Instead, Jesus brags on her for telling the truth.
If there is one thing I want us to take away today, it’s this.
Make a good sacramental confession.
It exists not to dwell on the bad, but to enhance the good in us.
Its purpose is to elevate, not pull us down.
To give living water.
This living water represents grace, the reality of divine life and love within each of us.
To get that living water we need to recognize our soul is thirsty and recognize Jesus is our way to quench that thirst.
We can’t go into surgery if we’re dirty.
We can’t wear all white with mud on our hands.
We also can’t get closer to Jesus if we’re not in right relationship with Him by confessing our sins and receiving absolution in the sacrament of confession.
In the process, receiving God’s sanctifying grace, living water.
No sinner is exempt from God’s grace and we are all sinners.
Living water. Drink from it and don’t thirst.
Drink from it and its grace will change our life and the world around us.
Is anyone thirsty?
In the name of Jesus,
Drink living water and live… really live.
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