Third Sunday of Lent, Jesus offers the woman at the well the water that leads to eternal life

By Msgr Michael de Verteuil

Chair, Liturgical Commission

This is the first of the three Gospels (the others are read on the fourth and fifth Sundays), which for most of the Church’s history have been part of the Lenten readings. They show us clearly the purpose of Lent: preparing us for Easter to be baptised (those in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) or for the rest of us, to renew our baptismal commitment, to say ‘yes’ again to the Lord.

Jesus meets the woman and offers her living water, “the water that I shall give will turn into a spring, welling up to eternal life.” The waters of Baptism begin the journey that leads to eternal life.

We reflect on our Baptism, the wonder and the implications of it, and as we proceed to Easter and Baptism or the renewal of our baptismal commitment, we seek to rid ourselves of all that stains our baptismal garment.

Jesus meets her at the well, as if He had been waiting to quench her thirst and offer her the living water of salvation. The Lord has waited for us and offers us, in this Lenten season, a deeper friendship with Him.

The woman had first to be vulnerable before Him to, as it were, confess her sins, her weakness. As we prepare for Easter and desire a new outpouring of living water, let us be vulnerable before the Lord. Let us confess our sins.

With the drought of her life quenched by Jesus’ offer of life-giving water that leads to eternal life (as the water of our Baptism does), the woman runs to announce the Good News.