The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
I was particularly drawn to the 1st reading in the standard option - the familiar story of Moses and the burning bush - and the Gospel reading from the First Scrutiny - Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
There was an instant connection for me between the two readings as these words jumped off the page:
“I am [who am] and “I am he”
Though these stories are hundreds of years apart, they are two parts of the same story.
So often, I feel myself missing the big picture when it comes to the Bible. But these wise words from St. Augustine hit home today as I read these scripture readings, “The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”
Moses stepping forth to “look at this remarkable sight” was an early example of entering into a relationship with the Lord. Then we see the conversation between the Samaritan woman and Jesus, as he describes “living water”, is another invitation calling her out of her brokenness and into a life lived in Christ. This time is different though, because the person of Jesus Christ is no longer the Messiah that is to come: He is in her midst, standing before her in the flesh, and she and many others will soon come to believe that He is truly the savior of the world.
What a gift that the Church gives us to contemplate these mysteries of our faith and walk the journey of our ancestors, and to realize that we are still in the midst of the story. A story that began long long ago, that was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, and yet one that has not come to completion.
For me, Lent is a bit of a marathon. Whether you find yourself having gotten off to a great start or you’re struggling to get those legs moving, today is a new day and the Lord is inviting you to take a step forward and enter back into the story. What are you waiting for?
Susie Lopez is a life-long Texan who enjoys training for marathons, baseball games, bacon, and jamming to 80’s songs in H-E-B. She works for a Catholic apostolate, the St. John Paul II Foundation, where she gets to serve the Church with her Martha-like gifts and talents, while slowly becoming more like Mary. Come say hello on Instagram!