Daily Readings - Sun Mar 12 2023
Exodus
3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?4And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.5And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Romans
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
John
5Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.6Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.8For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.40So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.41And many more believed because of his own word;42And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful reminders of God’s providence and the gift of faith. The first reading from Exodus describes the Israelites’ thirst in the wilderness and their murmuring against Moses. Despite their lack of trust, God provides water from the rock, a prefiguration of the living water Jesus offers. The second reading from Romans emphasizes the peace and hope that come from being justified by faith. Paul highlights God’s love, demonstrated in Christ’s willingness to die for sinners, a sacrifice that transcends human understanding. The Gospel from John presents Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, where he reveals himself as the source of living water, satisfying the deepest thirst of the human soul. This encounter also touches on the theme of worship, as Jesus explains that true worship is not bound by place but is offered in spirit and truth.
These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the gift of God’s grace and the transformative power of faith. In Exodus, the Israelites’ physical thirst mirrors the spiritual thirst that Jesus addresses in the Gospel. Paul’s letter to the Romans bridges these two accounts by explaining how faith opens us to God’s love and hope. Together, they remind us that God’s love is not earned but freely given, and that true life comes from trusting in him.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our own thirsts and doubts. Like the Israelites, we may feel frustrated or uncertain in challenging times, but God remains our rock. Like the Samaritan woman, we may feel unworthy or disconnected, but Jesus offers us living water that quenches our deepest longings. Like Paul, we are called to trust in God’s love, even when it seems inexplicable. Let us turn to God with faith, trusting that he will provide for us, and let us worship him in spirit and truth, for he is the source of all life and hope.