The Word On Sunday: A SPRING OF WATER WELLING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE

Readings for Sunday, March 12, 2023

Third Sunday of Lent

Lectionary: 28

It-Tielet Hadd tar-Randan

Reading 1 EXODUS 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?” So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!” The LORD answered Moses, “Go over there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel. The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

Qari 1 mill-Ktieb ta’ l-Ezodu 17, 3-7

F’dak iz-zmien, il-poplu qabdu l-ghatx, u gemgem kontra Mosè u qal: «Ghalfejn tellajtna hawn mill-Egittu biex toqtol lilna, lil uliedna u lill-bhejjem taghna bil-ghatx?» Mosè ghajjat quddiem il-Mulej u qal: «X’se naghmel lil dan il-poplu? Ftit iehor u jhaggruni.» Il-Mulej qal lil Mosè: «Ghaddi minn quddiem il-poplu, u hu mieghek xi whud mix-xjuh ta’ Izrael. Hu f’idejk il-hatar li bih kont drabt ix-xmara tan-Nil, u mur. Arani, jien noqghod hemm quddiemek, fuq il-blat f’Horeb; u int ahbat il-blat u tohrog minnu l-ilma, u jixrob il-oplu.» U Mosè ghamel hekk quddiem ix-xjuh ta’ Izrael. U l-post semmewh Massa u Meriba, ghax hemm tlewmu wlied Izrael u garrbu lill-Mulej meta qalu: «Il-Mulej fostna jew le?» Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm PSALM 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R//. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R//. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Salm Responsorjali Salm 94 (95), 1-2.6-7.8-9

//Rl . : Illum jekk tisimghu lehen il-Mulej, la twebbsux qalbkom

Ejjew, ha nfahhru bl-hena lill-Mulej,
ha nghajtu bil-ferh lill-blata tas-salvazzjoni taghna!
nghannulu b’ghajjat ta’ ferh. //Rl .

Nersqu quddiemu b’ghana ta’ radd il-hajr,

Ejjew inqimuh u ninxtehtu quddiemu,
gharkubbtejna quddiem il-Mulej li halaqna!
Ghaliex hu Alla taghna,
u ahna l-poplu tal-mergha tieghu u n-naghag tieghu. //Rl .

Mhux li kontu llum tisimghu lehnu!
«La twebbsux qalbkom bhal f’Meriba,
bhal dakinhar f’Massa, fid-dezert,
meta garrbuni u ttantawni missirijietkom,
ghalkemm raw dak li jien ghamilt.» //Rl .

Reading 2 ROMANS 5:1-2, 5-8

Brothers and sisters: Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Qari 2 mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 5, 1-2.5-8

Huti, issa li ahna ggustifikati bil-fidi, ghandna s-sliem ma’ Alla permezz ta’ Sidna Gesù Kristu; permezz tieghu ghandna d-dhul bil-fidi ghal din il-grazzja li fiha qeghdin. Ahna niftahru bit-tama li ghandna li ghad niksbu l-glorja ta’ Alla. U din it-tama ma tqarraqx bina, ghax l-imhabba ta’ Alla ssawbet fi qlubna permezz ta’ l-Ispirtu s-Santu li kien moghti lilna. Mela, meta ahna konna bla sahha, Kristu, meta wasal iz-zmien, miet ghall-hziena. Bilkemm wiehed imut ghal wiehed tajjeb, ghad li wiehed ghandu mnejn jaghmel il-qalb u jmut ghal wiehed generuz. Izda Alla wriena l-imhabba tieghu meta Kristu miet ghalina, ahna li konna ghadna midinbin. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel JOHN 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” —For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.— Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.” The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must

worship in Spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one speaking with you.” At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, “What are you looking for?” or “Why are you talking with her?” The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?” They went out of the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” So the disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work.” Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I have done.” When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the saviour of the world.”

Evangelju Qari skond San Gwann 4, 5-42

F’dak iz-zmienGesù gie f’belt tas-Samarija, jisimha Sikar, qrib il-biçça art li Gakobb kien ta lil ibnu Guzeppi, fejn kien hemm ukoll il-bir ta’Gakobb. Kien ghall-habta tas-sitt siegha, u Gesù, ghajjien kif kien mill-mixi, qaghad bilqieghda hdejn il-bir. U giet mara mis-Samarija timla l-ilma. Gesù qalilha:«Aghtini nixrob.» Id-dixxipli tieghu kienu marru l-belt jixtru x’jieklu. Il-mara mis-Samarija qaltlu: «Kif! Inti Lhudi u titlob lili, Samaritana, biex naghtik tixrob?» Qaltlu hekk ghax il-Lhud ma jithalltux mas-Samaritani. Gesù wegibha: «Kieku kont taf id-don ta’ Alla u min hu dak li qieghed jghidlek: “Aghtini nixrob,” kieku int kont titolbu, u hu kien jaghtik ilma haj.» Qaltlu l-mara: «Sinjur, mnejn se ggib l-ilma haj jekk anqas biex timla ma ghandek u l-bir huwa fond? Jaqaw int aqwa minn missierna Gakobb li tana dan il-bir, li minnu xorob hu u wliedu u l-imriehel tieghu?» Wegibha Gesù: «Kull min jixrob minn dan l-ilma jerga’ jaghtih l-ghatx; imma min jixrob mill-ilma li naghtih jien qatt izjed ma jkun bil-ghatx. L-ilma li naghtih jien isir fih ghajn ta’ l-ilma li jwassal sal-hajja ta’ dejjem.» Qaltlu l-mara: «Aghtini dan l-ilma, Sinjur, biex ma jaqbadnix l-ghatx, u anqas ma noqghod gejja u sejra hawn nimla l-ilma.» Qalilha |Gesù: «Mur sejjah lil zewgek u erga’ ejja hawn.» Wegbitu l-mara: «Ma ghandix zewgi.» Qalilha Ìesù: «Sewwa ghedt: “Ma ghandix zewgi.” Inti zzewwigt hames darbiet, u r-ragel li ghandek mieghek bhalissa m’huwiex zewgek. Sewwa wegibt!» Qaltlu l-mara: «Int profeta, Sinjur, milli qieghda nara. Missirijietna kienu jaduraw lil Alla fuq din il-muntanja; imma intom tghidu li l-post fejn wiehed ghandu jadura lil Alla jinsab f

’Gerusalemm.» Qalilha Gesù: «Emminni, mara, jigi zmien meta mhux fuq din il-muntanja taduraw lill-Missier, anqas f’Gerusalemm. Intom taduraw lil dak li ma tafux; ahna naduraw lil dak li nafu, ghax is-salvazzjoni gejja mil-Lhud. Imma tigi siegha, anzi issa hi, meta dawk li tassew jaduraw jibdew jaduraw lill-Missier fl-ispirtu u fil-verità. Ghax il-Missier ukoll, nies bhal dawn ifittex li jadurawh. Alla huwa spirtu, u dawk li jadurawh ghandhom jadurawh fl-ispirtu u fil-verità.» Qaltlu l-mara: «Jiena naf li gej il-Messija – dak li jghidulu Kristu. Meta jigi hu, kollox ihabbrilna.» Qalilha Gesù: «Jiena hu, li qieghed nitkellem mieghek.» Fil-hin gew id-dixxipli tieghu, u staghgbu jarawh jitkellem ma’ mara; izda hadd minnhom ma staqsieh: «Xi trid?» jew: «Ghax qieghed titkellem maghha?» Il-mara halliet il-garra hemmhekk, regghet dahlet il-belt u qalet lin-nies: «Ejjew araw bniedem li qalli kull ma ghamilt. Tghid, dan il-Messija?» U n-nies hargu mill-belt u gew ˙dejh. Sadattant id-dixxipli bdew jitolbuh u jghidulu: «Rabbi, kul!» Izda hu qalilhom: «Jien ghandi ikel x’niekol li intom ma tafux bih.» Id-dixxipli ghalhekk bdew jistaqsu lil xulxin: «Jaqaw gie xi hadd u gieblu x’jiekol?» Qalilhom Ìesù: «L-ikel tieghi hu li naghmel ir-rieda ta’ min baghatni u li nwassal fit-tmiem l-opra tieghu. Intom ma tghidux li baqa’ erba’ xhur ohra ghall-hsad? Imma araw x’nghdilkom jien: erfghu ghajnejkom u harsu ftit kif l-ghelieqi bjadu ghall-hsad! Ga l-hassad qieghed jiehu hlasu u jigbor il-frott ghall-hajja ta’ dejjem, biex min jizra’ jifrah hu wkoll bhal min jahsad. F’dan taraw kemm sewwa jinghad li wiehed jizra’ u l-iehor jahsad. Jiena bghattkom tahsdu dak li ma thabattux ghalih intom; kienu ohrajn li thabtu, u intom dhaltu flokhom biex tgawdu l-frott tat-tahbit taghom.» Kien hemm hafna Samaritani minn dik il-belt li emmnu f’Gesù fuq ix-xhieda li tathom dik il-mara meta qaltilhom: «Qalli kull ma ghamilt,» tant, li meta s-Samaritani gew hdejh, bdew jitolbuh biex jibqa’ maghhom, u hu qaghad hemm jumejn. Imbaghad hafna ohrajn emmnu minhabba kliemu, u lill-mara qalulha: «Issa mhux ghax ghedtilna int qeghdin nemmnu, imma ghax ahna wkoll smajnieh, u sirna nafu li dan tassew hu s-salvatur tad-dinja.» Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr. Anthony Kadavil

HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU THIS LENT?

Introduction:

This Sunday’s readings are centred on Baptism and new life. Living water represents God’s Holy Spirit Who comes to us in Baptism, penetrating every aspect of our lives and quenching our spiritual thirst. The Holy Spirit of God, the Word of God, and the Sacraments of God in the Church are the primary sources of the living water of Divine Grace.

We are assembled here in the Church to drink this water of eternal life and salvation. Washed in it at Baptism, renewed by its abundance at each Eucharist, invited to it in every proclamation of the Word, and daily empowered by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are challenged by today’s Gospel to remain thirsty for the living water, which only God can give.

Scripture lessons summarized:

The first reading describes how God provided water to the ungrateful complainers of Israel, thus placing Jesus’ promise within the context of the Exodus account of water coming from the rock at Horeb. The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 95), refers both to the Rock of our salvation and also to our hardened hearts. It reminds us that our hard hearts need to be softened by God through our grace-prompted and -assisted prayer, fasting and works of mercy which enable us to receive the living water of the Holy Spirit, salvation, and eternal life from the Rock of our salvation.

In the second reading, Saint Paul asserts that, as the Saviour of mankind, Jesus poured the living water of the gift of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. In the Gospel, an unclean, ostracized Samaritan woman is given an opportunity to receive the living water. Jesus awakened in the woman at the well a thirst for the wholeness and integrity which she had lost, a thirst which he had come to satisfy. This Gospel passage also gives us Jesus’ revelation about himself as the Source of Living Water and teaches us that we need the grace of Jesus Christ for eternal life because he is that life-giving water.

Life messages:

1) We need to allow Jesus free entry into our personal lives. Jesus wishes to come into our “private” life, not to embarrass us, not to judge or condemn us, but to free us, to change us, and to offer us what we really need: the living water of the Holy Spirit. Let us find this living water in the Sacraments, in prayer, and in the Holy Bible, especially during this Lenten season.

2) We need to be witnesses to Jesus as the Samaritan woman was. Let us have the courage to “be” Jesus for others, especially in those “unexpected” places for “unwanted” people. Let us also have the courage of our Christian convictions to stand for truth and justice in our day-to-day life.

3) We need to leave the “husbands” behind during Lent as the Samaritan woman did. Sunday’s Gospel message challenges us to get rid of our unholy attachments and the evil habits and sinful addictions that keep us enslaved and idolatrous. Lent is our time to learn from our mistakes of over-indulgence in food, drink, drugs, gambling, promiscuity, or any other addiction that distances us from the Living Water.