Homily: Third Sunday of Lent

March 23, 2003

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

My sisters and brothers in Christ:

"If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water" St. Jn. 4, 10.

Today's readings, which are the ones that are part of the RCIA program, bring to us the image of water as a source of life. Both in the human and the spiritual life, water is an indispensable element to stay alive and to be healthy. Water is essential for human life, and the water that can satisfy our spiritual thirst is the grace of God.

It is a very appropriate image for today's Holy Mass because starting today, and in the coming weeks, those individuals attending our RCIA program will go through a time of more intense formation as they prepare themselves to start a new life. A life of grace in the Catholic Church to the service of God and others.

This week the Profession of Faith, the Creed, will be presented to you for your consideration and meditation as a summary of our Catholic Faith. So, as you receive it and recite it you will know the contents of your faith.

The account of Moses and the Israelites in today's first reading, through the need for water, gives us a better understanding of the trials and joys of their long, hard journey toward a deeper relationship with God. The people needed God and each other, only sometimes they forgot it. Their physical thirst is an image of the thirst for God and as they receive the gift of water they feel the company of God in their lives.

"In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying. 'Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and livestock? …" Ex. 17, 3-7

It was difficult for them to understand the hardships of their journey, as sometimes it is difficult for us to understand the ups and downs of our own life. These days it is hard to see the horror of war or the dangers of terrorism.

Today we especially pray for world peace, for the safety of the men and women in our armed forces and the people of Iraq, and for God's guidance for our national leaders.

In the midst of these situations we have to be more aware of God's presence amongst us. For all of us, but especially for you going through the RCIA program, this is a very important issue because God is always with us and amongst us. Never forget that God is with you always.

As we can see in today's first reading: "The Lord answered Moses, 'Go over there in front of the people …strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink" Ex. 17, 3-7.

If we are always aware of the presence of God in our lives, then we feel the need to have a personal relationship with Him.

A relationship with God that is not one-sided, it is not only us looking for Him. The reality is that the one looking for us is God! He created us in His image and likeness and He is always looking for us! As a matter of fact, in loving God we are corresponding to His love for us.

In the second reading of today's Mass, St. Paul reminds us that "God proves his love for us in, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us". And that the love of God has been "poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" Rom. 5, 1-2, 5-8.

Our challenge as Catholics is how to develop that personal relationship with God. It should be our personal goal in life and it takes our personal effort and, most importantly, the grace of God acting in our lives:  "the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life", Jesus says in today's Gospel.

The dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, today's passage of the Gospel is like an outline of how to start and develop that relationship with God.

Jesus is on his way to Galilee and has stopped at a small Samaritan town. He is tired from his travels and stops to rest and get water to continue on the way. What appears to be an ordinary event turns into a divine revelation. The Samaritan woman, a sinner, recognizes Jesus as a prophet and Jesus reveals himself to her as the Messiah: "I who speak to you am he" St. Jn. 4, 26.

"Grace brings about an amazing change in this woman. Now her whole thinking centers around Jesus; she forgets what brought her to the well; she leaves her pitcher behind her and goes off to the town to tell people about her discovery" The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, p. 555.

This is also what happens to each one of us in Christian life. We have had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and he wants us to have faith in him and to share our discovery with other people.

It is beautiful to see how Jesus starts the dialogue, he uses a normal thing, his thirst to talk to her, something that she can understand and be open to, "Give me a drink". Then he takes the conversation to more important issues and finally asked her to have a conversion, to change her ways and believe in the Gospel.

Her participation in the dialogue is also very interesting and helpful for us in our dialogue with God. "The Samaritan woman's reply starts the dialogue and shows how well she is responding to the action of grace in her soul: her readiness to talk to Christ, who was a Jew, is the first stage in her change of heart.

Later by taking a real interest in what Christ is saying, she opens up further to God's influence. Her religious feelings begin to come back, she talks about 'our Father Jacob' v. 12.

Then Jesus challenges her asking about her life situation and she replies truthfully, 'I have no husband' v. 17; and, seeing that Jesus has broken through the intimacy of her conscience, she makes and act of faith: 'I perceive that you are a prophet' v. 19" Cf. Navarre Bible, St. John, 4,9.

As I mentioned earlier, this could be an outline for us on how to relate to God. Let's ask ourselves today if there is readiness in talking to Christ, if there is real interest in what Christ is saying. If we are truthfully talking to God and then our faith will be real and strong.

Finally, "the woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, 'Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ. They went out of the town and came to him" St. Jn. 4, 29-30.

If we are aware of the presence of God in our lives, if we feel the love of God for us and, if there is an ongoing dialogue with Christ, then we will be enthusiastic about our faith. The normal thing for us will be to talk to people about the happiness of having God in our lives. The evangelizing mission of the Church will be a reality in our lives.

We will share this wonderful gift that we have with other people. "All faithful are called to take part in the work of evangelization: 'Since Christians have different gifts they should collaborate in the work of the Gospel, each according to his own opportunity, ability, charism (gifts) and ministry…'" Vatican II, Ad gentes, 28 in Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, p. 555.

Let's keep in mind Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman: "If you knew the gift of God, and who is it that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink', perhaps you might have asked him and he would have given you living water".

The gift of God is the Holy Spirit and the living water is the grace of God. For all of us, this Lenten season is a time to change our hearts, listen to God and rise when we stumble in our lives. It is a time to open our hearts to the Gift of God, the Holy Spirit, and to look for the living water, the grace of God, that comes to us through the Sacraments.

Let's ask Mary, our Blessed Mother for her intercession that today we may renew our faith, hope and love and start, or continue this ongoing dialogue with Christ that will take us to the knowledge and love of the Blessed Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.