livingtheword

Download 3rd Sunday Lent Yr A
Reflection Questions:

• Week 3, 4, 5 of Lent in Year A features Gospel of John readings. These are specially inserted for helping people preparing for Baptism at Easter. They contain powerful symbols of water (quenching our thirst), light (a blind man sees) and the gift of life (raising Lazarus from death). Reflect on the image of sitting in the heat of the midday sun beside a well. What would you feel? Think about? Do? What questions would you ask Jesus? Spend 5 minutes imaginatively praying into this scene. What happened?

• It was unusual for a woman to collect water in the heat of the day alone. She does not like it. The longer gospel text reveals she has had 5 ‘husbands’. Has she been hurt by the gossip of other women? Her journey is our journey. How do you personally relate to the journey of this gospel encounter with Jesus?

• Jesus breaks the biggest social barrier and enters into a relationship with a despised enemy (Jews do not associate with Samaritans). Jesus sits with her, talks, asks for help, offers her life that will quench her ‘thirst’ forever. A rejected outsider becomes a disciple and the only person to evangelise a whole community in the gospel of John! What does the experience of inclusion change within the Samaritan woman? How could you life show Jesus’ attitude of inclusion this Lent?