Study: When have you been in need for water? When have you been in need of God’s grace?
Pray: Is there something in your life that is parched and dry? Ask the Lord for the Living Water that refreshes our souls.
Serve: Is there someone you know who is withered and weak? How can you bring them new strength and assistance?
Imagine a tall glass of water. You are tired and hot, and you hold the cool glass and start to drink. Immediately, relief spreads through your throat and body, and as you set down the glass you say, “Ahhh!” and smile.
We all have experiences of being thirsty. Maybe it is after a few slices of pizza or some extra salty snacks; perhaps it’s before an operation or medical checkup, when we are told that we cannot eat or drink anything from midnight on; it could be that we have just had a lot of exercise and are dehydrated. Yet no matter what the situation is, we know the feeling when we are thirsty for water.
Our bodies need water. Some studies tell us we should be drinking a minimum of eight glasses a day. This dependence on water is found in our survival; a person can live for weeks without food, but only a couple of days without water.
Our critical need for water becomes the source of the images found in the first reading and Gospel today. Water is the subject for both Moses and Jesus. Under God’s direction and guidance, Moses strikes the rock and provides water for the people in the desert. Jesus, through his discussion with the woman at the well, reveals that he is the water that gives eternal life.
These readings remind us that God brings the Living Water to us. In our need the Lord quenches our thirst as he did for the people in Meribah. In our need the Lord comes to us as he did for the woman at the well. For just as we need water to sustain our bodies, so too do we need Jesus Christ to give us life in this world and in the world to come.
Are you spiritually thirsty? Is there something missing that you long for in your soul? Is it love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Just as our bodies respond to water with renewed strength, so also our thirst for “living water” reminds us that God offers us refreshment for our souls. Lent is a perfect time to recognize our need for the Lord and ask for the grace and strength to face the challenges of today.
It is with water that we welcome new members into the Christian family through baptism. It is with Holy Water that we sign ourselves with the Cross of Jesus Christ. During the Easter season we will celebrate the sprinkling rite as we renew our own baptismal promises. In all these cases, water becomes the medium to remind us of God’s presence.
Every time we pick up a glass of water we have the chance to remember how dependent we are on this simple substance. May this reminder lead us more deeply into the mystery of God’s love for us and our need to recognize the Lord each day in the world around us. May we drink deeply from the living water of Jesus Christ.
Three Great Things 