Third Sunday of Lent.
First Reading. Ex. 17: 3-7.
The journey through the desert was long and difficult.
People began to complain when they did not have water to drink and God listened
to the cry of His people.
Second Reading. Rom. 5: 1, 2, 5-8.
Through the salvific death of Jesus Christ, God raised
man from his sinfulness with the out pouring of His love into man’s heart
through the Holy Spirit.
Gospel. Jn. 4: 5-42.
Here the story of Jesus with the Samaritan woman is
presented. Breaking all rules Jesus asks this woman for some water. In return
He promises her living water. The woman is surprised how Jesus knows her
personal life. Here Jesus proclaims that salvation is for all mankind. To his
disciples, Jesus says that His food is the mission of His Father. He needs to
reap the harvest of His labor.
Reflection.
Lent is a special time for conversion, repentance and
change of heart. It is a time to die with Christ and rise up with Him in glory.
The sacrament of baptism which the Christians receive bears this meaning. It is
dying to man’s own self and rising up in Christ to victory. Man is bathed or
immersed in water to signify the cleansing of the ‘Old Man ‘in him and the
coming out of the water signifies the ‘New Man’ in Christ.
God’s mercy can be experienced more especially during
this season. Even the marginal Christens seem to pay heed to the call of the
master to repentance. This is seen through many unfamiliar faces that you see
in church during this season. The mercy of God is irresistible and infectious.
People are bound to show it to those who have to yet experienced it.
In today’s first reading we see God showing His mercy to
an ungrateful people. Time and again they were unfaithful to the covenant of
Yahweh; they forgot what God in His goodness had done for them.
The slightest discomfort made them complain. But God
tolerates His people. This should teach us to practice tolerance in our lives
too. It must also teach us to avoid grumbling at the thing and be appreciative
of God’s goodness shown directly or indirectly.
According to the second reading; God in his outpouring
generosity and love sends His only Son to be the victim for man’ salvation. Man
is fact does not deserve God’s sympathy. An interesting question to ask from
ourselves would be how do we dispense mercy?
What credit can we claim for dispensing it to those who
deserve it? Have we genuinely tried to be merciful in our outlook and dispense
mercy even when people do not deserve it? The incident at the outskirts of
Samaria is a very eloquent testimony of the mercy of Jesus to those who were
considered enemies by the Jews. The woman was living in sin, knowing all facts
Jesus begins His mercy mission in human terms and proclaims liberty eventually.
We often try to work out our personal or community
salvation at the expense of the other people. If the receiving party is at
logger heads the situation became hysterical. But Jesus opens the avenues of
freedom to all alike; friends or foe, Jew or Gentile, black or white….etc. The
Samaritan woman finds in Jesus and understanding friend who is ready to begin
discussing human issues like a man and not as God. Very many of us discuss
other people’s ‘juicy’ issues as if we were not men but some super human
person.
Jesus thirsts for souls in disarray. That is why He said
on the cross, “I Thirst.” The thirst of Jesus is quenched with conversion of
hearts; those who receive mercy from Jesus never thirst for their experience a
lasting fulfillment. The Samaritan woman ran to the village, full of
conviction; and with her thirst now quenched, she proclaims the giver of living
water.
Let us approach Jesus for mercy. In that living
experience let us dispense mercy so that we may be merciful as the heavenly
Father is merciful.
Aid Story.
The devil summoned his daemons to a council of war, how
best to get mankind to do his will. “Send me” said one “I will tell them there
is no God.” “They know there is,” was the answer. “They would never believe
you.” “Send me.” said another, “I will tell them there is no hell.” “Even if
they believe you, they will still hope for heaven.” “Send me” said the third.
“I will tell them that there is no hurry.” That was greeted as a grand idea.
The third demon was sent out into the world and has labored with great success
ever since. So today’s temptation is that there is no hurry for us to give up
sin and become holy.
Aid Story 2.
There was a great sinner who lost the meaning of living
and wanted to slip from a clip and collapse. On the way he halted to meet one
priest. He narrated the sad story of his life; how little he loved God and
served human beings; how he broke the commandments and misled people. He said
his sins were too numerous to plead for mercy from God. The priest tried to
convince him of God’s mercy and love. He said, “My heart is like a bucket full
of holes. As soon as God pours out His graces; it leaks out completely.” But
the priest replied; “Perhaps, it is your heart which is like that bucket but
once it is thrown into the ocean of the love of God it makes no difference
whether it has holes or not; it is sunk in God’s ocean of love and mercy.
Fr. Ciswan De Croos.
Marian year.
Modern times are dominated by Satan and will be more so in the future.
The conflict with hell cannot be won by men, even the most clever. The
Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. However, now
that she is assumed into heaven, the Mother of God requires our cooperation.
She seeks souls who will consecrate themselves entirely to her, who will become
in her hands powerful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the extension of
the Kingdom of
God. (St.
Maximilian Kolbe)
