THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
(Exodus 17:3–7; Romans 5:1–2, 5–8; John 4:5–42)
Today’s Gospel highlights the encounter between Jesus and
the famous “woman at the well.” It is so important for the catechumenate that
it may be read every year on the Third Sunday of Lent. It describes a dynamic
of the spiritual life: how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, seeks out the lost sheep
in order to give her eternal life.
Jesus is alone as he waits for the Samaritan woman at the
well. He wants to speak with her about her life. When she arrives, Jesus does
not hesitate to begin the conversation. But he does not start by referring to
sin. Rather, he says, “Give me a drink.” It is a reasonable request at noon in
a dry land. For her, however, it is an unexpected remark. She is a woman, a
stranger, and from a rival nation—that is, the kind of person with whom
respectable Jews would not speak directly. Yet what concerns Jesus is not her
sociological profile but her soul.
The fact that the woman comes alone indicates her isolation.
The other women probably avoid her because she lives in sin. But she is not
unintelligent. She confidently replies that it is not customary for a Jew to
ask something of a Samaritan woman. Then Jesus raises the level of the
conversation. He moves it from the physical to the spiritual by offering her
“living water.” He explains that living water not only satisfies thirst forever
but also brings eternal life. But she—whether because she cannot imagine the
grace symbolized by baptismal water or because she is mocking him—asks for this
water so that she will not have to return to the well each day.
Now Jesus addresses the woman’s sin. He reveals that she has
been married several times and is currently living with a man outside of
marriage. Uncomfortable speaking about her personal life, she tries to change
the subject to religion. She notes that Samaritans and Jews worship in
different places. Jesus then offers her the way to overcome these differences
and to worship God “in spirit and in truth.” This expression can be understood
as referring to the Spirit of Truth—that is, the Holy Spirit. Jesus is offering
her the Holy Spirit, who is the source of grace.
The grace of the Holy Spirit is to the spiritual life what
water is to natural life. Just as water removes toxins from the body, grace
forgives sins. Just as water carries nutrients to body members, grace enlivens
the whole body to give praise to God. And just as water regulates temperature
to sustain bodily processes, grace moderates the passions so that a person may
seek God.
When she says that the Messiah will bring perfect worship,
Jesus identifies himself as that Messiah. She accepts him and, like a good
disciple, she goes to tell everyone about him. She leaves her water jar behind
because she is no longer concerned about natural water, having received
supernatural water from Jesus.
All of us are like the Samaritan woman—not only because we
sin, but also because we try to satisfy our deepest desires with material
things. Yet since God has made us for himself, those desires cannot be
satisfied by BMWs, champagne, or European vacations. Our deepest desires are to
know that we are truly loved, to have the awareness of having done what is
good, and to possess the assurance of salvation. To attain all this, we need
the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grace springs forth in the waters of Baptism and
grows to help us face life’s challenges through the other sacraments. Grace
gives us eternal life, strengthens us, and directs us toward God. Do you know
of anything in life more valuable than the grace of the Holy Spirit?
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