Lenten Meditations: Sunday 7 March
| Sun Mar 7 |
am: 93, 96 pm: 34 |
Exodus 17:3-7 | Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 | John 4:5-52 |
THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: For many Christians in the liturgical tradition in the West, who belong to parishes who follow the catechesis of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, they continue their instruction in the faith and begin the 3 week process of the “Scrutinies , as the Elect, preparing for Baptism. During this period, the Church calls the Elect to conversion and to deepen their resolve to hold fast to Christ with the intention of embracing the decision to love God above all. It is also a good reminder for the baptized members to ponder this call and consider our own spirit of repentance and sense of sin as we make our journey towards Holy Week.
MEDITATION OF THE DAY: The Gospel for the Third Sunday of Lent provides us with much to consider as Jesus encounters the Samaritan Woman at the Well. If we listen carefully to the story we cannot help but be moved by the Samaritan women’s experiences God’s redeeming love which offers unconditional acceptance of who she is as well as the person she is called to become. This love develops initially as “the gift of God”, then “living water”, and “salvation”. This experience of God’s love allows her to experiences the living water of a trusting, loving relationship with God. Instead of being embarrassed by how deeply God knows her (as many of us might be). Instead she is delighted and tells all to “come and see this person who knows all about her and it is a knowledge that is life changing and life giving. It is quite interesting that the Samaritan woman was chosen by Christ to share His identity as the Messiah. Today we are the persons chosen to know and reveal His identity as the Redeemer and Savior! Jesus wants us to know the wonderful gift God has for each and every one of us…He wants us to ask for the “living water” that our thirst would be quenched for eternity.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: O God, you are full of challenging surprises. You choose to meet us in unexpected places and you offer us strange gifts. You refresh our spirits with the living waters of love and acceptance. You do not judge who we are but rather, what we do with who we are. You are able to take even the most irritating features of our personalities and fashion them into tools for the shaping of your wisdom on earth. In Jesus Christ, you sent a teacher of grace. Help us to learn from him. Grant that we may worship you in spirit and in truth today and in this Holy Season. Amen.
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “To renounce Satan is not to reject a mythological being in whose existence one does not even believe. It is to reject an entire worldview made-up of pride and self-affirmation, of that pride which has truly taken human life from God and made it into darkness, death and hell. And one can be sure that Satan will not forget this renunciation, this rejection, this challenge. A war is declared! A fight begins whose real issue is either eternal life or eternal damnation. For this is what Christianity is about! This is what our choice ultimately means”.-Alexander Schmemann.
Lenten Discipline – As Christians we are painfully aware that nearly 1 billion people suffer needlessly without access to safe water. Part of our vocation is to work to change that. The Water Project is digging wells in five countries in Africa and you can help by either making a direct donation or organize a fundraiser at home, work or church. Go to http://thewaterproject.org/how-to-give-clean-water.asp to bring Living Water to others.
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