READINGS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A, SUNDAY 12TH MARCH, 2023
First Reading: Exodus 17: 3-7
Psalm: 94
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Gospel: John 4:5-42
REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM
JESUS, THE LIVING WATER
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
A sincere welcome to the Third Sunday of Lent, Year A. The focus of today’s reflection is on Jesus, the Living Water.
To deepen our focus on this reflection, water will be used as a symbol to express a specific aspect of the life of Jesus Christ. This will help us to understand that symbols carry meaning that depend upon one’s ideologies, circumstances, identity and cultural background. This reflection will also affirm that symbols make understanding of life easy.
Water is a symbol of life. There are many discoveries about water in the human body. It has been said that water composes 75% of our brain, 83% of our blood, 75% of our muscles and 22% of our bones. These discoveries explain the value of water to the human body. It means that water keeps alive the human body.
In respect of this, Jesus uses water as a symbol to visualise an image or a sign to represent an idea of a deeper indicator of universal truth beyond our physical comprehension.
As Living Water, Jesus says: “I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). Again, Jesus says: “I am the Way; I am the Truth, and Life.” (John 14:6). In his Confession, Peter calls Jesus, “the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16). Hence, Jesus Christ is the Living Water that gives meaning to our existential realities and life.
Jesus affirms this divine truth in today’s Gospel according to John. Jesus narrates the story of a Samaritan woman who came to draw water from the well. Jesus told her about the “living water” that sustains the human soul. In contrast, the Samaritan woman came to draw water that sustains only our physical life but the water that Jesus promised to give her sustains not only physical life but also our spiritual lives.
In this context, we can be physically and spiritually thirsty. Jesus said “anyone who drinks the water that I will give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).
Jesus was referring to himself as the true and living water. Jesus Christ is indeed the water of life that sustains our souls. It means that our souls need Jesus Christ in order to live. Jesus Christ nurtures and cares for our souls.
Jesus gave the Samaritan woman water that quenched both her physical and spiritual thirst. In the same way, Jesus will satisfy our thirst for water if we ask for it just as the Samaritan woman asked and she received the living water. Jesus made a difference in her life. Jesus will also make a difference in our lives if we drink Him as the Living Water.
Life sometimes can be uncertain. We need a sacred time and space to reflect on the uncertainties of life. Lent offers us the opportunity to pray for the courage to renew our trust and dependency in the loving care of Jesus Christ, the Living Water. This will help us to walk towards changing our lives to make a difference and to recognise order in nature and live in harmony with it and with our Lord eternally.
During this Lent, we are urged to make a difference to other people around us by our exemplary lives based on respect, justice, peace, forgiveness, care and unconditional love.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM