Daily Reflection on the Gospel of Sunday, March 12, 2023

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Today, just as in that Samarian afternoon, Jesus comes into our life, halfway through our Lenten journey, telling us, as He did to the Samaritan woman: «Give me a drink» (Jn 4:7). «His material thirst —says John Paul II— symbolizes a far deeper reality: it expresses his ardent desire that his dialogue partner and her fellow-citizens will open themselves to faith».

The Preface of today's Eucharist celebration speaks to us of this dialogue that ends up in a salvific barter where the Lord, «(...) “so deeply thirsted” for the salvation of the Samaritan woman “he set on fire in her the flame of God's love”».

Even today Jesus continues to “thirst”, namely, to desire humanity “thirst” for our faith and love, “thirst” for our response of faith before so many Lenten invitations to conversion, to change, to reconcile to God and our brothers, to prepare ourselves, as much as we can, to receive a new life of resurrection in the nearing Easter.

«I who am talking to you, I am he» (Jn 4:26): this direct and clear acknowledgment by Jesus of his mission, which He had never done before with anybody else, shows likewise God’s love, a love that undergoes more in quest for the sinner and promise of salvation, that will abundantly satiate the human desire for true Life. This is why, further down in this same Gospel, Jesus will proclaim: «If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water» (Jn 7:37b-38). So, your commitment today, is to go out of yourself and tell all men: «Come and see a man who told me…» (Jn 4:29).