Third Sunday of Lent 2025 (Year A Readings)

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 I need to stay hydrated to avoid fatigue, brain fog, and even emotional stress!

Have you ever felt tired, dizzy, sluggish, or had a headache for no reason? Maybe you've been irritable, unable to concentrate, or just felt "off."

Chances are—you were dehydrated.

Health experts tell us that by the time you feel thirsty, you're already behind on hydration. Our bodies need water constantly to function properly. Without it, we experience fatigue, brain fog, and even emotional stress.

So how do we stay hydrated?

  1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

  2. Avoid things that dehydrate us, like too much caffeine or sugar.

  3. Recognize the signs early—before they get worse.

But let’s ask a deeper question: Have you ever felt restless, discouraged, or like something is missing?
 Maybe you've tried to fill that emptiness with distractions, success, or relationships—yet the thirst remains.

If so, chances are—you’re spiritually dehydrated.

God Meets Us in Our Dry Places!

In our First Reading, the Israelites are physically thirsty in the desert, but their real crisis is deeper:

  • They doubt God’s presence: “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”

  • They demand quick satisfaction rather than trusting in God’s plan.

In the Gospel, the Samaritan woman comes to the well for water, but Jesus sees that her deeper thirst is for something greater.

  • She has been searching for meaning.

  • She has been avoiding others, coming to the well alone in the heat of the day.

  • She has likely tried to fill her emptiness in ways that never satisfied.

And Jesus meets her exactly where she is—just as He meets us in our struggles.

At first, the woman doesn’t understand what Jesus is offering:

  • “You have no bucket!”

  • “Where can you get this living water?”

She’s thinking about physical thirst, but Jesus is offering something deeper:

  • A relationship with Him that quenches the soul.

  • A new life that washes away shame.

  • A hope that will never run dry.

Now, let me ask you again:

Have you ever felt restless, discouraged, or like something is missing?

If so, chances are—you’re spiritually thirsty.

After her encounter with Jesus, the woman leaves her water jar behind and runs to tell her town about Him.

That water jar represents:

  • Her past mistakes and shame.

  • Her old way of thinking that left her empty.

  • The things she thought she needed but never truly satisfied.

What is the water jar that you and I need to leave behind this Lent?

  • Is it fear?

  • Guilt or regret?

  • A habit that drains us rather than nourishes us?

Jesus is inviting us to let go of what doesn’t satisfy and drink deeply of His living water.

Evangelization – Sharing the Living Water

What happens next?

  • The Samaritan woman, who once avoided others, now runs to them with excitement.

  • She becomes an evangelist, telling others about Jesus.

  • Because of her witness, many come to believe.

If Jesus has quenched your thirst, don’t keep it to yourself. Who in your life is spiritually thirsty right now?

  • A family member struggling with faith?

  • A friend battling discouragement?

  • Someone who needs to know that they are seen and loved by God?

We are called to share this living water.

Every time we gather for the Eucharist, Jesus offers us the water of eternal life.

As we continue our Lenten journey, let’s reflect on:

  1. What am I truly thirsting for?

  2. What “water jar” do I need to leave behind?

  3. Who in my life needs the living water of Christ?

Jesus invites us today:
 "Come to me, all you who thirst, and I will give you life."

Drink deeply.

Amen.



Location: Morrisonville, NY, USA

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