From the Pastor – March 15, 2020

Water is a vital element in our existence. We need water to live. Yet, as important as water is for us, sometimes itis a destructive force in our world. Consider the many floods we have read and heard about recently, especiallywith climate change occurring in our world. It is important that we hydrate so that we can maintain our balance inlife. Hydration is even more important for the elderly because too many of them don’t drink enough water whichonly creates more problems.In today’s Gospel, Jesus meets a woman seeking water from a well, who does not know that her life will beradically changed because of her encounter with Jesus. She was a Samaritan and an outcast to the Hebrews.Because of her standing in society, she thought that she could get to the well in the heat of the day, get the watershe needed and leave. Most people would gather at the well in the evening, when it was cooler. They would notjust gather to get water, but also to socialize, much like we do today around kitchen and other tables.The woman’s encounter with Jesus meant that she met the person who would give her life-giving water. Hispresence assured her that Jesus didn’t make a distinction between one person or another. Neither does he withany of us. He offers us his life-giving water expressed by his love and presence in our lives. The more we receivefrom him, the more we need to return and seek more. Our thirst and our need for him is never satisfied. This isbecause Jesus offers us the new life of the Father, for which he died to save us all and rose again to restore us toright relationship with the Father.Lent is always a good time for us to consider our continuing need for Jesus and his life giving presence thatsustains, nurtures and nourishes us, and invites us to return again and again. This is also a good time to considerour thirst for him, and that without his presence in our lives, it is difficult to live as his followers. We may need todraw water to help keep us alive, but the life-giving presence of Jesus is constantly there for us. All we have to dois keep tapping into him so that we may be able to continue to be his Good News to others.  HAPPY LENT!!~ Fr. Joe