Father Albertus Herwanta, O. Carm
We continue our Lenten pilgrimage. We have walked for nineteen days. On the journey, we have met Adam and Abraham. Adam reminds us of our choice, and Abraham gives us an example of listening to and following God. Today we meet Moses, who has to deal with the people of Israel in the desert. They are thirsty. The story reminds us of our need for water. What do today's readings tell us?
The human soul, much like the body, is marked by a deep and persistent thirst. The readings for the Third Sunday of Lent vividly portray this longing and reveal God's ultimate provision for it in Jesus Christ.
In Exodus 17:3–7, the Israelites argue with Moses, saying, "Give us water to drink." Their physical thirst covers a deeper spiritual crisis—a testing of God's presence. They ask, "Is the Lord among us or not?"
This scene at Massah and Meribah establishes a fundamental truth: humanity is desperate for sustenance it cannot provide for itself, and it longs for the assurance of God's life-giving presence.
This Old Testament thirst finds its answer in the Gospel. In John 4:5-42, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. He offers her "living water" that will turn into "a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Jesus shifts the conversation's subject from physical water to a profound spiritual reality.
Jesus, the new Moses, is more than just a striking rock; he is the source of water. He satisfies the woman's deepest longing for truth, love, and acceptance. He quenches the spiritual thirst that no earthly well can satisfy by revealing her life and offering Himself with the Holy Spirit.
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"Sir, give me this water so that I may not be thirsty." (John 4:15)
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How is this living water received? Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 explains that it flows through the sacrifice of Christ. "Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God." The water of life is the very love of God, made possible not by our merit, but by Christ's selfless act. Why? Because "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
During the Lenten season, this message is truly relevant. We acknowledge our thirst during Lent: our addictions, our restless striving, and our search for meaning. Like the Samaritan woman, it challenges us to let go of our jars and acknowledge that the world's resources are insufficient.
We remove the barriers that stand in the way of our access to the true spring through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent leads us to the foot of the Cross, the ultimate rock struck for our salvation. From there, the living stream of love and forgiveness flows.
In addition to drinking a lot of this water ourselves as we approach Easter, we are also asked, like the woman at the well, to spread the word about the One who truly satisfies. (*)