February
27, 2005
Third Sunday of Lent
Jn
4:5 - 42
Today's
gospel is one of the unforgettable incidents in Christ's life. Nothing
should distract us from its impact. Indeed, to get its full flavor it
could read by a team of readers, one for the narrative, one for the
Samaritan woman and one for Jesus' part. The setting is perfect. Jesus,
dying with the thirst at a well over a hundred feet deep, has no bucket.
The outcast, the Samaritan woman, has a bucket and a rope, presumably.
The stage is set for stubborn confrontation or face-saving bargaining.
Jesus chooses neither of these alternatives. Instead, he uses his own
need of drinking water to awaken in the woman an awareness in the woman
an awareness of her need of God. He succeeds not only in her case, but
in the case of her townspeople as well.
It
is a power-filled story. Conscious as we all are of our need for food
and drink, this gospel incident alerts us to reflect on our need for
God, our need to let his life of grace nourish our faith, hope and love
so that eternal life will flourish within us. Otherwise, his presence
among us can be parched to death.