RENUNGAN – 8 MARCH 2026
Reflection for 3rd Sunday Of Lent Year A (7th and 8th March 2026)
First reading: Exodus 17:3-7
Second reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Gospel: John 4:5-42
This weekend missal reading theme is ‘The Living Water’. This weekend also marks the First Scrutiny for the Elects.
Christ quenches our spiritual thirst with the living water: the love of God which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We pray for those who are prepared for this baptism.
In the 1st reading from Exodus, we learned that the Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt were complaining and questioning of God’s presence with them in their ordeal during the wilderness, but God follow through love provides for them to drink water miraculously drew from the rock. God’s providence never fails in times when we seek for his help and presence.
In the 2nd reading on St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, reminds us that it is by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this state of grace and be at peace with the Heavenly Father as His children. This proves that God loves us and that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. We are unworthy, but our faith in Christ’s sacrifice enables us to receive the gifts which God’s love has been pouring into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel reading of John, the story of Jesus encountered with the Samaritan woman and subsequently the people from the town of Sycar, Samaria, is a story of bringing back the lost sheep, for these people were once originated from one nation but experienced split relationship because other countries invasions, mixed marriages, categorized social status and feeling of indifference. Because of Christ presence and works of salvation while on earth, thus fulfilling what long ago been prophesied by the prophets of the Old Testament as the anointed one.
Jesus Christ revealed Himself as approachable, concerned of the Samaritan woman as a person and her soul’s salvation. Christ also revealed Himself as the spring of living water which will lead one to eternal life, not like the water which Israelites drank during the time of Moses, nor the well of Jacob which neither will ever quench any thirst, but Christ does. Jesus Christ did claim that he was the Messiah that was promised and whom would bring salvation for the people. Jesus feeds on the will of the Father and the fulfilment of the promise through His ministry of sharing the Good News of God’s Kingdom and a calling to all people for reconciliation and repentance. God loved us so much, that even in our sinfulness and unworthiness, sent his begotten Son, Jesus Christ to the world, in order that we may have eternal life, a fulfilment of utmost human desire.
As we reflect today on the theme of ‘The Living Water’, we recalled the desires that we may have in life, be it wealth, status, happiness or recognition, even if we ever fulfilled all these wants or desires, could we ever be satisfied?
When we follow Christ through baptism and honour the Lord’s Commandments and Church teachings, we declared that only Christ could provide us this living water, the true fulfilment that will quench the thirst we have.
Let us pray especially this Lenten season, for the strength to put aside all these desires according to the world standards but allow God and His abounding love lead us to seek only the things that will bring us closer to Him and be reconciled through repentance, then only we can worship God in spirit and in truth.
Amen.
Prepared by Cat. Fredie
