The Fourth Sunday of Lent, Cycle A, March 19, 2023, Prayers of the Faithful, John 9:1-41.

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Sunday March 19, 2023

Fourth Sunday of Lent

For a new vision of love for our Universal Church. May Pope Francis lead us into the glory of justice and renewal in Christ Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision to live our faith in the world. May we not stumble in the dark of discouragement and doubt. May we walk clearly in the light of Jesus Christ.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision for our families. May our children grow in the sight of love. May reconciliation bring home our lost family members.  

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision for our care for people. May we learn to see more clearly people with disabilities and people baring the marks of long-term suffering.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision of bringing hope to all people. May we serve without measure those who turn to us for shelter, food, and healthcare.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision to accompany people waiting for baptism. May we walk with our people who have been called to join us in the Easter sacraments.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision for people caught in the dark of doubt and fear. May our sinfulness be healed to enable us to walk on God’s path of freedom.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision in our grief and despair. May our hearts be tended by God’s mercy. May our grief unfold into hope here on earth.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision of heaven for our beloved dead. May our loved ones now see the beauty of the face of Christ in pastures green and redeeming.

We pray to the Lord.

The Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A, March 12, 2023, John 4:5-42, Reflection

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Woman at the Well, Raab, 2020

This image, “The Women at the Well,” is from 2020. It seems like years ago, from the depths of COVID 19. It still speaks.

Sorry to have been absent this week. I was on the road preaching two retreats in Austin, Texas. I also traveled with a cold. I am home safely tending to my voice and health. So, I thought I would write my reflection for today.

The Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A, March 12, 2023

John 4:5-42

A Samaritan woman drew water daily at high noon at a local well. In the hot sun she was hidden. Most people collected water in the early morning. The community cistern served as a central meeting place before the heat of day.

She encountered Jesus in the sun. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink”. This moment caught her off guard. She questions him about being a Jew and asking her, a Samaritan, for a drink. She becomes so confused about living water. She is overwhelmed by what sort of water Jesus is referring to. The heart is deeper than the community cistern.

Jesus numbers her husbands. He knows she has been through much suffering and confusion. She ultimately leaves the jug at the well and goes into the village to tell others this man could very well be the Christ. He had within him all the knowledge of her past, her decisions and sins. Jesus knew her thirst for eternal life.

In daylight or early dawn, what do we desire from Christ? In Lent, we search the deep well of our hearts to encounter him. We hearken to his voice and to his invitation to sit in his tender presence. He offers us a fountain of eternal life.

In this Lent, we capture our thirst for heaven, for salvation. The waters of baptism flow within us, still healing us from within. We bath in his merciful presence, always. There is no inner dryness that will destroy our encounter with Christ Jesus. The desert of Lent shall flow into the joy of Easter morning and we shall not hide in the noonday sun because the Risen Christ knows everything about us.

The Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A, March 12, 2023, The Prayers of the Faithful, John 4:5-42

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Sunday March 12, 2023

Third Sunday of Lent

Let us pray for Church leaders. May they show us the way toward the mercy of Jesus Christ. May hope be among all who serve us.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to thirst for eternal life in Christ. May we be filled with Christ’s abundant love. May our lips sing praise to God alone.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for those who will approach the well of baptism at Easter. May their sins be washed in the eternal stream of mercy. May they rise from the font of holiness with new life and vigorous faith.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to humble ourselves before Christ in Lent. May we approach Christ with hearts that are emptied of self-sufficiency. May our lives be filled to overflowing with mercy, forgiveness and joy.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to present to Christ the truth of our lives. May the Woman at the Well give us courage to pour out our hearts to him. May we not be afraid to speak to Christ in the hot sun of guilt or shame.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to find surprise in our encounters with Christ. May our stubbornness, ill-will, and self-hatred be washed away in Jesus Christ. May we find unexpected joy.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our children trafficked for sex and crime in our nation. May our children not be hidden in the dark for sale or torture. May each child find dignity in the light of Christ.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all people in war-torn nations. May we work in daylight and darkness for peace among every nation under heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for those who carry grief in the heaviness of their hearts. May hope find us when the sun is hot and we are tired. May our loved ones who have died find the new light of heaven.

We pray to the Lord.