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WORD AMONG US WAU.ORG Reflections
Daily Meditation: Exodus 17:3-7
Is the Lord in our midst? (Exodus 17:7)
Today marks the third Sunday of Lent, and your enthusiasm for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving may be fading by now. Perhaps your Lenten sacrifices have been more challenging than you anticipated or you don’t feel any closer to God. Like the Israelites in today’s first reading, you may wonder, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” (Exodus 17:7).
God had freed his people from slavery, yet they doubted that he would provide for them. In their thirst, they grew impatient and hardened their hearts despite all he had done for them. They even argued that slavery in Egypt was better than freedom in the desert! So they demanded that the Lord quench their thirst. In his mercy, God granted their request. Moses struck the rock, and water flowed forth for the people to drink.
In today’s Gospel, we meet a Samaritan woman who also has a deep thirst. She comes to draw water, but Jesus asks her for a drink. She wonders: Who is this? Jesus replies, “If you knew. . . , you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). She doesn’t grasp who Jesus is, but her thirst opens her heart to him. “Give me this water,” she asks, and Jesus reveals himself to her (4:15). He is the One who offers the waters of eternal life. He is the One who knows her past. He is the promised Messiah. Unlike the thirsty Israelites who grumbled, her heart is soft, receptive to God’s presence. And in his goodness, Jesus quenches her thirst, and she leaves her water jar to tell everyone about him.
Jesus wants to reveal himself to you—do you recognize him? He speaks to you through the Scriptures at Mass today; he invites you to quench your thirst as you receive him in the Eucharist. He is present in both the simple and the profound moments of life, in your dirty dishes and a beautiful sunrise. So open your eyes and “harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:8). The Lord is in your midst!
“I’m thirsty, Lord! Soften my heart so that I can recognize you today!”
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42
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First Reading — Exodus 17:3-7
The Israelites expressed their discontent by complaining. What are the real roots of discontent?
Responsorial Reading — Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Second Reading — Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Contrast the reasons for the positive atmosphere of this passage with the reasons for the negative atmosphere of the First Reading.
3. Which of these reasons are most important to you? Why?
Gospel Reading — John 4:5-42
How would you define “spiritual thirst”?
What does the Samaritan woman’s response tell about her search for truth?
Which characteristic of Jesus most appeals to you from this encounter?
What can we learn from Jesus’ example about sharing the thirst-quenching Living Water with others?
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