Third Sunday in Lent, Year A
Saint Cecilia Catholic Community
March 15 2026 – 10:30 AM
Deacon Sharon Kay Talley
Exodus 17:2-7 | Psalm 95:1-2;6-9
Romans 5:1-2;5-8 | John 4
+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
What runs but never walks? Water.
As raindrops say, two’s company…three’s a __________? Cloud.
All of today‘s Scripture readings focus on water. Humanity thirsts, both physically and spiritually, for water.
In our first reading from Exodus, the people thirst physically and God provides water from a rock. God has Moses strike a rock in order to provide water even though the Israelites complained, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
The significance of water is more obtuse in our second reading from Romans. This passage emphasizes that God’s love is poured into our hearts and we have peace with God through Jesus. Humanity’s deepest thirst is reconciliation with God, fulfilled through Jesus.
Our Gospel from John emphasizes spiritual thirst and the living water offered by Jesus. Many theologians see a connection between the rock struck by Moses in Exodus and Christ, who is “struck” or crucified to give life and is the source of living water or eternal life. This Gospel brings us to one of the most profound and beautiful encounters in all of Scripture: Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.
It is around noon, the hottest time of day. A woman comes alone to draw water from the well. She comes at this particular time in order to avoid people. She is not only carrying a water jar, but also shame, regret and a complicated past, commonly referred to today as “baggage.” And Jesus is waiting for her. Not by accident; not by coincidence; Jesus waits for her on purpose.
He begins with a simple request: “Give me a drink.” In doing so, Jesus, the Son of God, makes Himself vulnerable. He asks her for something. Isn’t that how God often works? He doesn’t begin by condemning us for our sins. He doesn’t begin with a lecture. He begins with a request. When Jesus says to her, “Give me a drink.”, He is actually saying “I want to know how I can help you.” And the Samaritan woman is shocked! Jews did not speak to Samaritans at that time. Men did not publicly engage unknown women at that time. And Rabbis did not converse casually with ordinary people like this! Yet Jesus crosses every boundary! His grace always crosses boundaries. Then Jesus shifts the conversation by stating, “If you knew the gift of God, He would have given you living water.” The Samaritan woman is thinking about physical water, but Jesus is speaking about something deeper. The Samaritan woman has been thirsty her entire life, not just for physical water, but for love, security, belonging, and meaning. She has tried to quench that thirst through her relationships, through searching for affirmation, acceptance, and love. But nothing has satisfied her. And that is exactly the same condition many people find themselves in today.
They try to fill their thirst with:
–success
–approval
–entertainment
–possessions
–unhealthy relationships
But none of these satisfy them and the thirst returns. Why? Because we were made for something more infinite. As Saint Augustine said: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
Jesus offers us living water—the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and the grace that comes from within. This is not temporary relief, but something external like a spring of water inside our soul. As Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman continues, the awkward moment comes next when He reveals that He knows her past. She has had five husbands and the man she is with now is not her husband. So let’s look now at what Jesus does not do:
–He does not shame her.
–He does not humiliate her.
–He does not dismiss her.
He simply speaks the truth—calmly, gently, clearly. True love does not ignore sin, but it reveals sin in a way that invites healing. Jesus looks at the Samaritan woman and says in effect,”I know everything about you and I am still here.” That is mercy. Remember, many people avoid prayer because they think, “If God really knew me…” But God does know you. Completely. And He is still waiting for you at the well. At the end of the story, something remarkable happens: The Samaritan woman leaves her water jar at the well. This highlights the fact that the very reason she came to the well is no longer the focus. She has found something greater. She runs back to the town, to the very people she used to avoid, and says, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done.” By doing this, the woman who once hid in shame becomes a missionary. Lent is about returning to the only One who can give us living water. The Holy Eucharist is our living water in this life. As we prepare for the Eucharist today, imagine Jesus sitting there at the well of your life. He looks at you and says: “I know you. Give me your thirst.”
Amen.