Third Sunday in Lent: The Samaritan Woman at the Well, by Gayle Somers

In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, the disciples “marveled” that Jesus was talking with a woman.  Will we marvel over this conversation, too?

Gospel (Read Jn 4:5-42)

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well plants us deeply into the mystery of salvation—God’s great love for sinners.  During Lent, we take special notice of ourselves as sinners, spending time and effort to recognize the seriousness of sin and to rejoice in Christ’s victory over it.  Our lectionary readings highlight both of these Lenten realities in a most wonderful way.

As the Gospel story begins, we see Jesus resting, in the heat of the day, at a well in Samaria.  A woman approaches, and Jesus starts a conversation with her.  In the Old Testament, wells were often the place where marriage betrothals began, because they were one of the few places where women appeared in public.  Drawing water was women’s work, and there were always lots of women around wells.  Two of Israel’s patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, found their wives at wells, as did Moses.  …