THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
JOHN 4:5-42 ...... A SPRING OF WATER, WELLING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE.
God has placed a burning spiritual desire in each human heart. The things of this world or persons cannot satisfy this deep thirst within us. For most of us, this divine spark lay smoldering under layers of sin, guilt, fear, worldly passions and attachments. But God in his love, frees us from this captivity by the gift of repentance and we experience a new spiritual rebirth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then the spiritual spark bursts into a bright flame and our hearts intensely yearns for the love of God. Hence St. Augustine of Hippo cries out "Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you."
"To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement."
What the Samaritan woman could never find elsewhere, either in the things of the world or from a series of failed relationships with men, she could at-last find when she meets our Lord and believes in him as the Messiah and God. Her unquenchable thirst was abundantly satisfied when Jesus graciously pours into her parched heart the "Living Waters" of the Holy Spirit - after she truthfully admits her sin. She promptly leaves behind the pot at the well and her old miserable sinful life to make a bold and joyful beginning of sharing her faith and announcing the good news to her fellow townsfolk. In this incident in John's Gospel Jesus for the first time openly declares and manifests himself as God and Saviour to the unnamed and despised Samaritan woman and the Samaritan townsfolk. Hence the gentiles are the first to clearly know that Jesus is truly God.Jesus tells the woman that, as God he should be worshiped in spirit and not according to the customs of the Jews or the Samaritans. And this special woman becomes Jesus' first evangelist. In this lenten season let us pray that the love of God copiously fill our hearts to overflowing so that we can share this immense joy and love with others through word and example.
God Bless.
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