Things to talk about:

• Think about a time when you were so thirsty and couldn’t get a drink. What did it feel like to be so thirsty? How did you feel when you finally were able to get a drink? What did Jesus tell the Samaritan woman about water and about himself?
• Do you remember any other stories about Samaritans? What did Jewish people in Jesus’ time think about Samaritans? Why do you think Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman?
• What happened to the Samaritan woman when she met Jesus? How did her encounter affect people in her town?
• The woman testifies to what Jesus does for her. What makes the woman’s message so effective?

Things to do:

• Do I recognize that because of my Baptism, I have a responsibility to share the Good News with others? What are some ways I share my faith? (Hint, join us for Rise Against Hunger on Saturday morning, March 14, https://transfiguration.com/news/rise-against-hunger/
• During Lent we fast from meat on the Fridays and fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Plan to join your Church Family at the Lenten Dinner hosted by the Knights of Columbus, click for details, or plan a Lenten dinner to cook together at home, Click HERE for recipes to select.
• Learn more about the Water Challenge Project, https://thewaterproject.org/thewaterchallenge.
• Find the eighth station of the cross in church. What is happening in this station?
   
   

Closing Prayer

Imagine Jesus speaking these words to you  –

“I thirst for You. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe My love for you. No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake. Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to Me, for I thirst for you…”—St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
 

Name those who need our prayers. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Catholic Insight

Water is life! Without it, we perish. Whether it is the water that quenches our thirst or the water that gives us eternal life, we rely on this most precious gift. Jesus reveals himself as living water, quenching our thirst for all that is perishable, filling us with grace and life beyond our imagining.

Jesus gives new life to those whose sins have left them spiritually parched. He himself thirsts for the repentance and faith of those who have astray. He invited the Samaritan woman to speak to him, and he transformed her life by forgiving her sins, fulfilling her longing for the Messiah and making her a witness to him. Through the waters of Baptism, he joins us to himself, forgives our sins and makes us his witnesses. (CCC, 1213).

Did you know?.... Samaritans were descendants of Jews from the northern part of Israel, who had intermarried with Gentiles and did not worship in Jerusalem. At the time of Jesus, Samaritans and Jews did not like each other or interact with each other. Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman teaches us that the gift of eternal life is given to everyone!

Additional key concepts for this week:

Baptism– is the foundational sacrament of initiation that removes original sin, bestows new life in Christ, and welcomes the person into the Church. It involves pouring water or immersion while invoking the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), often performed on infants shortly after birth to welcome them into the faith. Baptism frees us from original sin and personal sins, marks us as an adopted child of God, and seals us with an indelible spiritual mark. The symbols for baptism include water (cleansing), anointing with oil (strength), white garment (purity/new life), and the Pascal candle (light of Christ). The Catholic Church recognizes most baptisms performed with water and the Trinitarian formula by other Christian denominations as valid. The process for becoming Catholic for the unbaptized is through the Order of Christian Initiation (OCI), read more…

Living Water – refers to the Holy Spirit and the divine life (grace) offered by Jesus, primarily through Baptism (cleansing of sin) and the Eucharist (Christ’s presence). Symbolizing spiritual nourishment and eternal life, this “fountain” satisfies the soul’s deep thirst. Living Water represents God’s covenantal love, which provides spiritual rejuvenation, removes the need to seek fulfillment in earthly things, and leads to eternal life. Read more…

Original Sin – We inherit a human nature that is weakened, ignorant, suffering, and a propensity towards evil. St. Augustine taught original sin as the hereditary stain passed down from Adam. Baptism removes original sin and restores sanctifying grace, freeing us from this fallen condition and missioning us into Christ’s redemptive work. Jesus’s death and resurrection offer the ultimate victory, reversing the effects of original sin and offering a path back to God’s grace. 

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Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection