Putting God First
We are now in the third week of our Lenten journey. Lent is a time of sacrifice and anticipation. We are called to sacrifice during these seven weeks as a way to remember and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice.  God showed His love for all of us by sacrificing His only Son.  Jesus accepted that He would be tortured and killed so that we can have the promise of eternal life.  Our Lenten sacrifice is small in comparison but a sign to God that we are putting God first in our lives. The anticipation we experience comes from the Easter celebration where Jesus is raised from the dead back to life so that we can be with God for eternity. Let us not forget what Easter means to us. Yes, it is important to be with family and friends, but always remember what we are celebrating on that Easter Sunday.
 
As I reflect on John’s Gospel, Chapter 4: verses 5-42, there is a lot to take note of in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Let’s remember that Jews looked down on Samaritans and did not consider them to be equals. However, Jesus, a Jew, bypasses those boundaries and talks to the woman. Jesus is tired and thirsty from his journey but shows His compassion to the woman. We are led to believe that the Samaritan woman was married five times and has a checkered past.  Jesus is all knowing and understands her past but He does not judge her. He uses this Samaritan woman to spread the good news. We can all learn from this and strive to treat people as we would want to be treated. Learn not judge people but love them for who they are.
It is important to understand that Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to an outcast.  He does not put people in boxes or groups, but loves all people regardless of who they are or what their background is.  Today we are separating people into groups; be it white or black, poor or rich, conservative or liberal, educated or not educated. This is not what Jesus taught us. By speaking to a Samaritan woman, He teaches us to treat all people as equals and this exemplifies His love for all.

When Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah to the woman, He tells her things no one but Jesus could know. She becomes a believer in Christ, but more importantly, she runs to the village and spreads the news of Jesus to others .  She is a disciple and evangelist and we too are called like the woman to spread the good news of Jesus.  Sinners like us must live the life Jesus calls us to and spread His word. 
Finally, I would like to touch base on the symbolism of the well in this story.  We all need water to live; people can only go so many days without water or they will die.  Jesus promises us a living water and we will never have thirst again.  Jesus is telling the woman and us that if we follow Him and His teachings, we will live for all of eternity.  Think of how you feel when you are thirsty and how great you feel when you get that drink of water.  Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross will allow us to never thirst again.
 
As we continue our Lenten journey, we should take the time to ask ourselves if we are showing love, patience, and mercy to people in our lives as Jesus has shown us.  We should strive to have patience with all those in our lives, and when we fail, acknowledge our failure and ask for forgiveness.  The Holy Spirit is there to guide us and pick us up when we fail.  Life is full of many challenges but God is with us every step of the way.

May God Bless you all!