Homily: Third Sunday of
Lent (A)
Christ Refreshes Us with His Gift of Love- In moments
of Crises(COVID-19) (B)
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
v Exod 17:3-7
v Ps 95:1-2, 6-9
v Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
v John 4:5-42
(Even with the ongoing threats of COVID- 19 out break), many
of us are familiar with today’s delightful Gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with
the Samaritan woman in John 4. It is a story about God’s incarnate, Christ, who
consistently refreshes and lavishes us with his gifts, with the “water” we need—especially
the water of his love and mercy, as expressed in his journeys, his rapport, and
his dialogue with us and our families and friends.
The loving
rapport and refreshment we see in the Gospel extends back to the time of creation.
It is evident also in our first reading, which is set during the first exodus
when the Israelites were thirsting during their wanderings in the wilderness (Exod
17:3-7). As they journey through the wilderness, God not only fights for them
as he hardens Pharaoh’s heart, but he also provides Moses’ leadership. He offers
his chosen people his love and provides food, manna, and drinking water for them,
in spite of their actions. He provides these things to a community who complains,
who acts out at Massah and repeats that action at Merribah, who is often distracted
from acknowledging God’s everlasting love. God gives us, too, the gifts of mercy
and guidance on our journey. God is the rock and the love of our lives!
Paul
also speaks of God’s ever consistent, universal, and refreshing love in the second
reading (Rom 5:1-2, 5-8). He says, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
obtained access to this grace in which we stand . . . But God proves his love
for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:1-8).
How often
do we complain like the Israelites did in the wilderness, at Massah and Merribah?
What prevents us from returning to God in our desert experiences? How easy is it
for us to fail to recognize God’s love and blessings in our lives, or forget the
history of our RCIA, the history of our Christian faith, those promises we made
during our initiation into Christian faith? How easy it is for us to forget the
history of God’s love for us in our thirstiness, in our hunger; in illnesses,
in CoronaVirus Health Pandemic, in our deserts, in our frustrations? Remember, no
matter our “dryness,” God is there to refresh us!
God’s
refreshing love is emphasized in today’s Gospel passage, when Jesus encounters,
speaks with, listens to, and shares a cup of cold water with the Samaritan woman
in John 4 (John 4:5-42). Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, travels in the company
of his disciples from Judea to Galilee. He passes through Samaria, where he meets
a Samaritan woman who comes to draw fresh water from the well of Jacob. Everyone—the
woman, Christ, and his disciples—must have been thirsty, since they were
experiencing summer heat. To the shock of everyone, Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, breaks
protocol and dismantles the unnecessary status
quo when he approaches this Samaritan woman for a cup of drinking water. He
also spends some time chatting with her, respectfully, to the tacit disapproval
of his disciples.
The conversation
and exchange show that this text is about much more than thirstiness for ordinary
water. Jesus is friendly and respectful to women and people of all cultures. It
does not take long for the Samaritan woman to recognize this. She recognizes Jesus’
gifts and compassion. She recognizes his divinity, his love, his prophetic role,
his saving mission, his patient dialogue, his forgiving power, and his spiritual
depth as the true source of living water. She invites the rest of the Samaritan
town to trust and visit with Jesus, the source of life and Savior of the world (John
4:42).
During
Lent we find ourselves not only in the place of the Samaritan woman, but also in
the Samaritan town. From this town, Jesus invites us to listen to him. He comes
to us. He talks to us. He dialogues with us. He loves us. He provides us with drinking
water.
This
water cleanses our personal faults, diseases, deathly viruses, and assures our uncertainties.
It refreshes and replaces our thirst for material things with spiritual need. It
replaces our hunger for war with peace. It replaces our desire for revenge with
a thirst for reconciliation. It refreshes our stinginess with generosity, our selfishness
with charity, our despair with hope, our jealousy with contentment. Christ’s living
water replaces our divisiveness with unity, our exclusivism with inclusivism;
it helps us to reach out to others, especially the poor, aged, immigrant, sick,
weak, and marginalized of society.
As we
journey through our deserts of Lent and the exodus of hope, may we strive to imitate
the Samaritan woman, disposing ourselves to Christ’s healing mercy. As recipients
of God’s mercy and refreshing, healing love, may we in turn reach out to others, inviting
them to partake in Christ’s bountiful love and to share in his spiritual drink of
faith like the Samaritan woman and the Israelites in the wilderness.
Reflection Questions:
1. How often do you complain like the Israelites in the
wilderness in Exodus 17?
2. What prevents you from returning to God in your desert
experiences (illnesses, coronavirus threats)?
3.What prevents you from encouraging
other members of your faith community to do so?
4. Do you ever fail to recognize God’s love in your life?
Have you ever forgotten the history of our RCIA, the history of our Christian faith,
and the promises you made during your initiation into the Christian faith?
