3rd Sunday of Lent, Cycle A II

1st Reading: Ex 17:3-7

Intro: The story of water from the rock when the newly freed Israelites complained about the lack of water in the desert and wondered if they had not been better off in slavery in Egypt. It is one of two accounts of the water from the rock. (The other account in Nu 20:11 is where he strikes it twice.) It is chosen today, probably to show the necessity of water for life and that God provides the true lifesaving water.

2nd Reading: Rom 5:1-2 ;5-8

Intro: The reading tells us of the justification we have won through faith in Christ. Notice its emphasis that Christ brought us justification while we were still sinners. Faith in Jesus puts us at peace with God and gives us His love through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us, and all of this because of God’s love for us demonstrated in Jesus willingness to die for us.

Gospel: Jn 4:5-42

Summary: The woman at the well.

Homily:

The Mass is our well

The imagery that this woman is a seeker is too strong to pawn her off as a sinner whom Jesus converted. She comes for water, this symbol for John of life-giving sustenance. She comes at noon when the sun, the light - and you know John's love of the imagery of light and darkness. At noon the sun is at its highest point. The light is strongest. Maybe that is why she came at noon. Then she leaves her water jar behind when she experiences the living water that Jesus gives.

What happened there? What happened that she no longer needed to seek but went to tell others what she had found? What happened was that she had an encounter with the Lord, a Lord who was willing to put himself at risk by talking to her. A Lord that wanted to know her and wanted her to know Him, the Lord of right relationship.

He talked to her about her experience of life and how that could lead her in the direction to the fullness of life. He nourished her by His very presence, nourished her to the extent that she felt compelled to share her discovery with her neighbors.

It's a pretty phenomenal story and it is a story that is still played out today, if we open ourselves to it. The Mass is our well where we come to encounter Christ. He speaks to us just like He spoke to the woman at the well. He is ready to nourish us with His very presence. The disciples didn't understand why Jesus didn't need to eat; they never even got that the woman didn't need to eat either. But, the story is the same; It is not on bread alone that man eats.