Breaking Open the Word
March 8 - 3rd Sunday of Lent
Introduction
A lot going on in our gospel this week. The Samaritan woman gets herself into a tough situation in life because of her poor decisions. In our first reading, the Israelites are close to stoning Moses because they have no water. Alas, in our second reading St. Paul reinforces the actions of God in our first reading and the actions of Jesus in the gospel – God is hope.
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-8
John 4:5-42
Gospel Explained
The setting of our gospel is when Jesus leaves Judea and returns to Galilee, after the Pharisees get nervous because Jesus had baptized more people than John the Baptist. Judea is south of Galilee and in order to get to Galilee, He had to pass through Samaria…an area not friendly to Jews. Jesus could have taken the route most Jews used to get from Judea to Galilee, which was to cross the Jordan River and go around Samaria to get to Galilee…not Jesus, He had work to do.
As Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman, He heads straight into acting counter to the Mosaic Law by engaging the woman in conversation and then having the audacity to share a drinking vessel with her. Samaritans were from the remnants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after it was conquered by the Assyrians. By the time this gospel encounter occurs, the Samaritans had intermingled with the pagans both in family and culturally, picking up some of the pagan traditions.
Jesus tells the woman that He can provide “living water”, living water was understood to be water that was moving and fresher than the stagnant water in the well. The woman wants this water of which Jesus speaks for two reasons, it is fresher, and she would not have to come to the well by herself each day. Because she had so many husbands, she was an outcast in the town.
Jesus then engages the woman in a discussion around worship. The hill on which this was taking place was Gerizim, a place where a temple was built by the Samaritans in the 4th century BC as a rival to Jerusalem. Their discussion ends with Jesus telling her that He is the Messiah. With that revelation, the woman drops her jar of water and runs back to town to spread the word.
A woman’s word was not valued or trusted unless a man would back it up. Jesus is invited to stay with them…another big no-no for Jews. Jesus takes the time to teach them and many came to believe.
Today's Theme
Today’s Theme: Hope
In our first reading the Jews are losing hope. Their single greatest desire was not being met, they wanted water. Now, we do not know if they had water and wanted more, or if they had none at all. God does not leave them alone in their thirst – He provides for them.
In our gospel, Jesus comes upon a woman who goes to the well each day by herself…an outcast. Yes, she did it to herself with her actions but none the less, she is an outcast among outcasts. The entire Samaritan people were outcasts according to the Jews. Jesus does not condemn her. He lifts her up by bringing her hope.
Jesus uses the weak to subdue the strong. Of all the people in the world to whom He could have reveals that He is the Messiah, He chose an outcast among outcasts, a sinner among sinners. Jesus tells His apostles why He did it: “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish His work.” And what is His work? It is to bring everyone to eternal happiness with the Father.
Theme in our Life Today
Hope In Our Life Today
One of the most troubling aspects of our society today is a lack of hope. It does not have to be that way, but just as the Jews looked at Moses and blamed him for their predicament, many in our society want to blame others when things in our life do not go as we want. Moses did not force the Jews to leave Egypt, they left of their own accord, and yes many did stay behind in Egypt and never left.
Every time we turn around we see someone being accused of being a rotten person…a terrible person…and worse. We are called to be Jesus to everyone – just as Jesus was to the woman at the well and all of the Samaritans. We are called to lift others up and help them be the person God wants them to be.
Flip it around…many of us have hope that is hurting and sometimes completely shattered. We can’t give up! God is right next to us. He is right in our misery. Grab ahold of that! Trust. Trust. Trust!!
And for those of us who get into rotten places in life because of our own bad decisions – turn to God for hope! Maybe some element of our lives is not going to turn out the way we want because of a bad decisions – God can take that circumstance and create something beautiful. All He asks you to do is trust, and there you will absolutely, positively, unconditionally, reliably, and joyfully find hope.
Prepare for Sunday
To Prepare for this Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word, consider the following:
• Take time at the Adoration chapel and ponder where your dreams are and whether you are really trusting God in those dreams
• Let your motto this week for yourself and others “Why not me?”
• GET TO RECONCILIATION!!!!!!!!
Go smile at God today! It is a beautiful day so rejoice!!