HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

THEME: THE SAMARITAN WOMAN: MY OWN EXPERIENCE

R1: Ex 17: 3-7

R2: Rom 5:1-2, 5-8

Gospel: John 4: 5-42

Dear friends, the story of the Samaritan woman in the gospel is a very peculiar one. Jesus, who

was tired by the day’s journey, sat beside the well at Sychar to wait for his disciples who had

gone to buy food. A woman (a Samaritan) came to draw some water by the well and there she

saw Jesus (a Jew) who was free to engage her in a discussion.This woman was an unfaithful

woman, that even though she wasn’t married she had lived with seven men.

This woman and her story represents all of us who have been unfaithful to God. Jesus meets

us and wants to lead us back to God in a new and eternal covenant. She came to draw some

water from the well, the disciples went in search of food, these represent our constant search for

material pleasure which can only grant us a momentary satisfaction. That is why Jesus speaks

of giving this woman the living water which when she drinks she will never get thirsty again. This

living water is the spirit of God that when received we are sure of salvation (eternal satisfaction).

At the start of the discussion with the woman, she was only interested in water (material

pleasure). Continuous discussion with Jesus opened her to a deeper understanding of the gift of

God. In the same way, we have been invited to a relationship with Christ through our baptism. At

the beginning we only understand that God provided our material needs and will never let us go

hungry. When our encounter and journey with Jesus to God becomes intensified we realize

sometimes how difficult the road is and like the Israelites we soon forget the initial enthusiasm

that led us to embrace the faith. We begin to complain, “why did you bring us out of Egypt into

the desert to die of thirst?” (Ex 17:3). We start reclining in our faith instead of asking for the

living water, that which wells up to eternal life. We put God to test by asking Him for signs to

show that He loves us.

Dear friends, our Christian journey is a journey of faith. The journey of faith is the journey of

hope. These are what the second reading calls us to adopt, faith and hope. Faith and hope are

built by patience, that in every situation God is there. The Samaritan woman understood this

well that was why she persisted in the discussion with Jesus. With that persistence she realized

that Jesus was not just sir but a prophet and later a messiah. With this reality she was no longer

interested in the physical water rather the living water (salvation), thus she forgot her jug and

went and call others to come and see the saviour of the world.

May we ask God for the gifts of faith and hope so that we may be persistent in the pursuit of

salvation which he has brought for us, Amen.

*Rev Fr Chukwuemeka Vincent Livinus, SMMM.*