It is interesting to note that the word "Lent" comes from the old English term "Lencten" which means springtime. Indeed, Lent is the time of spiritual renewal, a kind of spiritual "springtime" wherein we try our best to allow our souls and spirits to bring forth shoots of hope, vigor, purpose and holiness. Let us allow Christ to transfigure us into a new man or person who understand that it is necessary for us to undergo suffering and pain in order to transverse into life.

Today's Gospel account gives us Christ's encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. It is a story that describes the inner experience of those people preparing themselves to receive the sacraments of initiation. Let's try to go to the salient points about the gospel which are worth reflecting.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water at noon time. In olden times, women would generally fetch water in the morning in order to prepare the food or clean the house, etc. This woman comes at noon time to avoid gossip because she is a woman with questionable reputation.

Jesus was tired from a journey and he was sitting down by the well. He asked the woman: "Give me a drink." The Samaritan replied to him: "How can you a Jew, ask me a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" During that time, there was animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans. They do not mingle with each other. There is bias and prejudice that they have toward each other.

Jesus for his part tried to reach out to her when he said: "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink’ you would have asked him and he would have given you a living water."

The Samaritan woman was using her common sense when she said: "Sir, you do not have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water. Are you greater than Jacob?"...

Jesus replied to her: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become the spring of water welling up to eternal life." What is that water that Jesus is referring to? It refers to two things: the water of baptism and the Holy Spirit that Jesus will give.

And the Samaritan woman replied: "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming to draw water..." Here the innermost desire of the Samaritan woman is aptly expressed, though she didn't understand it.

Nevertheless, we see here the progressive discovery of the woman with regard Jesus. She sees him as a gentleman by addressing him "sir", then as a prophet. Jesus revealed to her one basic truth when he said: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father neither in Spirit and in truth..." And then as a Messiah whom she acknowledged when she said: "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one who is called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything," Jesus for the first time admitted this truth: "I am he, the one speaking with you." She left her bucket and testified to the people that she met Jesus the Messiah. And the whole town came to believe in Jesus by begging him and his disciples to stay with them for two days. They said to woman: "We no longer believe because of your words; for we have heard for ourselves; and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

Today's Gospel inspires, convicts and challenges us first, to express our innermost desire and need to Jesus from our physical need to spiritual one...Jesus, who is our provider, would be happy to give it to us if we ask it in faith and confidence or if we claim it. Jesus would love to give us the Holy Spirit, the wellspring of salvation.

Second, let us try to discover who Jesus really is, not only by gathering information about him, but by reading, studying and meditating the sacred scriptures every day so that Jesus' principles, values and teachings will be ours so we can completely follow and live them.

Third, we have to believe, acknowledge and proclaim with boldness that Jesus is our Messiah, the Savior of the world. We always have to cling and draw to and from Him the wellspring of our salvation, which are the sacraments and the Holy Spirit.

I wish to inform the parishioners that on Wednesday, we will start our Triduum in preparation for the feast day of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. All are invited to join us. It will start with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the praying of the Rosary, the Novena Prayer and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Of course, it will be punctuated with a fellowship at the social hall...jokingly expressed from "Misa" to "La Mesa".

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