Some of you might remember this, but just a couple of years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Portugal for World Youth Day with some of our young adults. Now, for context, at every major World Youth Day event, the closing Mass is the highlight of the week. But, that closing Mass is usually outdoors and there is a pilgrimage aspect to it…it’s a custom to walk 6-8 miles to get to the site, then we spend the night in some field, and then take the long walk back to the city after Mass the following day.

The day of the closing Mass for us in Lisbon was probably the hottest day Portugal had seen in a long time…it was 104°. On the walk back to the hotel, after about mile 3, your boy was exhausted…and worse, I was incredibly thirsty…I had run out of water. And it was the kind of thirst where your mouth is really dry, your energy is gone, and you start questioning every decision you’ve made in your life. Yeah. And, just when I was about to give up, I turned a corner and saw what I could only describe as something close to the Beatific Vision…a small food and beverage cart that was selling water. I ended up buying 4 bottles of waters – chugged 2 of them and put the other 2 in my backpack and was able to carry on the rest of the journey.

Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as water can completely change how we feel? Today’s readings remind us that just as our bodies thirst for water, our souls thirst for something even greater.

The Thirst of the Israelites and the Water God Provides

In the first reading, the Israelites are wandering in the desert; they’re parched; they’re desperate; they’re frustrated. They’ve been freed from slavery in Egypt, but now they’re tired and wondering if God has abandoned them. They even start crying out, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7)…does that sound familiar to any of us? Definitely sounds like something I have said when I’m struggling with something and when I’m disconnected from God.

In response, God tells Moses to strike the rock, and from it, water flows. That water is a visible, tangible sign to the Israelites that God is with them, that He absolutely is providing for their needs. That moment foreshadows how Jesus, the true rock, will later pour out the water of salvation for us…when Blood and Water flow from His side on the Cross.

The Samaritan Woman and the Living Water

In a similar experience in the Gospel, we have this Samaritan woman at the well who is thirsty…but in a different way. She comes for water but finds something much more meaningful. In her interaction with the Lord, Jesus tells her, “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst” (John 4:14). At first, she doesn’t understand what that means, she has no clue what Jesus is even remotely talking about. But as the conversation continues, she slowly begins to realize that Jesus isn’t just offering her water; He’s offering new life; He is offering her healing, meaning, purpose; He’s inviting her to deeper relationship with God.

This is the same water that God provided for the Israelites in the desert – it’s the water of life; it’s the water that quenches every thirst; the water that sustains, renews, and restores.

The Call to Transformation

That’s what Lent – and especially this Third Sunday of Lent – is really all about. Today, the Church invites the Elect, those preparing for the Easter Sacraments, to participate in the first scrutiny. It is meant to help the Elect uncover and heal any weaknesses or sins on their hearts, and to strengthen them to live a life in Christ. But, it’s not just for the Elect…it’s for all of us. Lent invites us to recognize our own thirst. What are we longing for? Peace? Forgiveness? Purpose? Jesus meets us where we are and offers the living water that truly satisfies.

A Mission for the Week

This week, a question for us to reflect on: What are we thirsting for? Let’s bring that to the Lord in prayer and allow Him to reveal what it might be that we’re truly seeking. But we also have to ask Him to fill us with the water that truly satisfies. Is there something we need to remove from our lives that are preventing us from following the Lord? Or is there something we need to add to help us along that journey. What are we thirsting for?

Embracing the Living Water

Just like those bottles of water that refreshed me on that excruciatingly hot day in Lisbon, God’s grace revives us when we turn to Him. So, as we continue this Lenten journey, let’s seek to drink deeply of the living water that Jesus provides so that we can grow closer to Him and become a source of His love for others.

Readings for Mass: Third Sunday of Lent (Scrutiny Readings)

Painting: Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well, Angelica Kauffmann. 1796. Neue Pinakothek Collection, Munich. Wikimedia Commons. Used under public domain.