On this Third Sunday of Lent, the Scriptures present two powerful stories about thirst - for water. The Israelites' thirst in the desert was so great that Moses feared for his life. So God told Moses to strike a rock - and water gushed forth. It satisfied them for a while.
In the Gospel, Jesus breaks the law to speak to a Samaritan woman who had come to Jacob's well to draw water. She was a passionate woman who had tried every kind of pleasure, but none had satisfied. What a surprise, when Jesus, tired, hungry, and thirsty, asks her for a drink of water. He broke all the rules in speaking to her. Now, He keeps on talking, ignoring her hostility, aware that, in this unexpected encounter, the Father has provided Him with an opportunity for piercing the heart of this sinful woman with His love.
Jesus suggests that He can give her living water that is far superior to anything she had ever tasted. Certainly her five husbands (plus her newest lover) haven't brought her what she is really looking for. We know that she had tried cheap love, and we presume she was no stranger to intoxication, power, and money! This isn't a gentle lady who comes to draw water from the well, but a toughened cynic. No wonder she is rude to this travel-dusty Jew, whom she is sure will avoid her with downcast eyes. Jews despised Samaritans who worshipped God on the wrong mountain. But Jesus doesn't follow the accepted prejudice!
Jesus forgets His own needs, and offers this woman living water, spiritual grace. Incredible! Finding her heart curious and open to this miraculous water, He proceeds to raise her vision. He asks her to go back and bring her husband to the well with her. Of course, this is the turning point of the story. When He confronts her with the truth, she could have flounced off in righteous indignation and denial - but she doesn't. In humility, she accepts the reality of her sordid life. Because of her humility, Jesus floods her soul with grace. Dropping her bucket, she runs back to spread the good news. "I've found the Messiah!" And she had!
Lent is a time for us to let Jesus satisfy our thirst. Like that woman, we too have tried the wrong kinds of water to quench our thirst for happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind without really finding it. Now is the time for us to find real joy and satisfaction in letting the Lord fill us with the grace of the season. Like her, we will find that our joy is greatest when we share that gift with others - joining in a study or prayer group, in visiting a nursing home, in being patient with our family members, and really listening to them, in praying from the heart in a quiet place, in reflecting on the Word privately or at daily Mass, and letting the Eucharist change us into the Body of Christ.
The Samaritan woman never did give Jesus a drink of water as he had requested. Do we stop to realize that Jesus' thirst for our love is even greater than our thirst for His love? I guess only saints understand that. It's what gives them the energy to pour themselves out in ministry up to their last breath.
Next Sunday, Lent will be half over. A question: "Are we satisfied with what we have done so far to let Jesus fulfill our desires?" We need to examine our habits of prayer, our penances, our almsgiving. And what are we planning for the remainder of Lent? It's all about quenching our thirst for life and love - to shun the type of thirst-quencher that doesn't really satisfy, and to earnestly beg Jesus to give us His living water.
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