Reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent
The readings for this Third Sunday of Lent offer many valuable insights. I want to start with the Second Reading from Romans. St. Paul told the Christians of Rome that “hope doesn’t disappoint.” St. Paul was dead on the money. He knew very well why hope is needed to live a Christian life. His World got shaken upside down by the revelation of Jesus, and he gained hope he’d never dreamed of. He needed that hope to inspire him through his many apostolic undertakings.
Today, in the Book of Exodus, the Israelites complain about being out in the desert without water. They question why Moses even led them out from Egypt, to begin with. Let’s be honest here. How often do we grumble about our life situation and wonder why God leads us “into the desert?” We lose our comfort and complacency. In a way, God does this to lead us out of our sloth. While we all have days where we question our Christian obligations, the truth is that the desert is far better for us than the “Egypt” we left behind (which is our sins). The desert eventually leads us to Jesus, who gives us life-saving water.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus offers that very same water to the Samaritan woman at the well. She comes to the well during the hottest time of the day. She comes to fulfill a physical need, her thirst. Little does she know Jesus will satisfy the thirst of her soul. He offers water to her that will give her Eternal Life. He offers this to us here and now. Accept that offer. This water is nothing less than “the hope that doesn’t disappoint,” a hope which will never be vanquished. And really, hope does for our soul what water does for the body. The body cannot live for more than three days without water. Our soul cannot live long without a lasting hope. We all aspire for certain things: a good life, a good job, a spouse, the list continues on. One cannot keep going without hope. And as Christians, we have a triumphant hope. We hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Finally, the Samaritan in the Gospel went to her whole village and drew everyone back to Jesus to show them the Messiah. We are tasked with bringing people to Jesus, to the everlasting hope that HE is the long-awaited Messiah. Amen.
Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB
Posted in Lenten Resources