2026 Cycle A - 3rd Sunday in Lent

Readings

3rd Sunday in Lent

Exodus 17:3-7; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7b, 7c-9; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42 or John 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Homily Theme

Thirst

The Jews in the desert story in today’s first reading were parched: they had suffered many days without water. Picture yourself in the desert on a hot day with nothing to drink anywhere. Try to imagine how you would thirst for water. Don’t we complain over much less? Moses takes their complaints to God who tells Moses to strike the rock and water pours forth for them to drink: their thirst was quenched.

Paul tells us in the second reading, that the sinner can be saved when the love of God is poured into dry hearts. Yes, we are all sinners, but Jesus did not die for Saints, but for sinners who can become saints, when they truly believe and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember, many of the greatest Saints were once the greatest sinners.

In the Gospel story, Jesus thirsts for water as He sits by the well too tired to go with his disciples to buy food. A woman of a different race and religion comes to the well to fetch water. Jesus asks her for a drink. She is very surprised that a Jew would even speak to her and He is asking her for a drink. The story ends with Him quenching her thirst with more than water. She meets God and her life is changed forever. Have you truly encountered Jesus and had your life changed like the woman in the well?

For what do you really thirst? Millions of people in our World today seek the wrong things. We thirst we for the things that do not satisfy us. Look around and see how many rebel against God and His Church. Millions of former believers have turned away from God, and in doing so, they have only increased their spiritual thirst

Are we going to wait for another Great War and destruction before we turn back to God as did so many prior to previous World Wars. We are dangerously close to another one with the present World-wide tensions since the Russian Crimea take over. Don’t let us be like the Jews in the Desert who rebelled by not following the God they claimed to believe in. Let us change our lives now, before it is too late. God is waiting for us to seek Him now and His love for us.  Will you Thirst for Him now as He changes your life?  

Jesus thirsts for us also. Let Him gradually disclose our sins to us as we meet with Him in prayer this Lent. The life giving water that will be poured into our hearts will be the Holy Spirit. Remember, Jesus is God and He died on a cross for us.  Sit with Him this week and speak with Him like the woman at the well. The love of God will then be poured into our dry hearts. He thirst for your love also. Will you quench His thirst and pour your love into His Heart.  He will waiting for you.  He loves you more than you can even imagine.