Reflection on the Woman at the Well, the Third Sunday of Lent ~ by Mary Walker

The Third Sunday of Lent

Jn 4:5-42

We gather on this Third Sunday of Lent to again reflect on our theme of "Lord, help me to hold out" and the Gospel. In today's Gospel reading from John, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well. They met in a simple way - He would say, "Give me a drink." She knew that Jews and Samaritans had nothing in common.

Her dialogue with Him would eventually make her believe in Him and lead her to eternal life in Baptism. She would learn about God's unconditional love for us. His power of forgiveness, our need to have faith and trust in Him. She would believe that Jesus was the prophet and the Messiah. She, too, would go out into her community to evangelize and to bring others to Christ.

When the Liturgy Committee decided on this year's theme and presentation, we did not know that this past week we would be involved in a one-day joint Caritas effort with Fifth Street Baptist Church and that it would be such a blessing and opportunity to reach out to others - to 40 Homeless Men!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son" and on this Wednesday, He brought us 40 sons - a son to represent each day of Lent. These were sons for us to feed and to care about - albeit briefly. Upstairs, the Stations of the Cross and the Mass were being celebrated. Downstairs, we fed those representing fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers, cousins, uncles and friends. It was such a powerful time.

May God bless Lucy Thompson, our coordinator and her small army of helpers and cooks. Several of the men spoke about it being the best home-cooked meal that they have had in a long time.

Let's be reminded on our Lenten journey to keep our 40 brothers and those in need in our prayers and fasting, and continue our Lenten sacrifices. Dig deep as you contribute to our Church and your other almsgiving efforts to the Rice Bowl and to our precious children in Haiti.

St. Elizabeth - who knows what God has in store for us. Like the woman at the well, keep the faith, trust in God and continue to ask: "Lord, help me to hold out!"

~ Image: The Woman at the Well by J. James Tissot ~

~ Gospel Illustrations by James Tissot