On March 19, Kathleen Ryan, ARCWP and Mary Skelly
led the community’s liturgical celebration for the Third Sunday of Lent. They
used the Gospel of the Samaritan Women and a reading from The Samaritan Woman
by Edwina Gateley. Edwina’s reading and Kathie’s homily starter are printed
below.
Welcome: Today is the Third Sunday of Lent. The story of the
Samaritan woman at the well is proclaimed. Jesus interacts with this woman. He is
a risk taker. He knows his actions are not the norm. He acts anyway. He is
modeling what it means to live the love that the Holy One has always
intended. When we hear the
readings today place yourself at the scene and imagine what the Holy One might
be asking of you, of each of us.
Opening Prayer: Our world, our culture sometimes tells us we are not worthy.
Love tells us we are everything. Between these two banks living water
flows. Let us pray our opening
prayer in song.
Deep Within by David Haas
A reading from The
Samaritan Woman by Edwina Gately
“Water, give me water.” He—a man, and Jew-asking me for water!
I can scarce hide my shock. He must be mad of course. But he is gentle. He does
not know me.
I must tell him-it is not
done, it is not right that he should speak to me. But he does. He begins to
tell me strange things about Living Water.
Talking with me in sacred
space. I am swelling with a joy
and freedom I have never known! There is a rush like cleansing water running
through me, leaving me light as air. I have no need now for my jar of clay.
I run with the Living
Water! I run with the Good News entrusted to me-to me by the Christ who waited
for me, received and filled me at the well where women gather.
I am no longer afraid and
shamed. I am your soul sister.
Honored, blessed, bearer of new life.
First witness of the Christ amongst us who broke the rules of exclusion,
who dared to speak to a woman, who asked a favor from such as I, then chose me
the rejected one, chose me the sinner, chose me the woman to run, oh so filled
up, with such Good News.
Kathleen Ryan’s Homily Starter
The story of the Samaritan woman is very familiar. But
every time I read it I hear/see something else. We know the Samaritan woman is
living on the margins. She is at the well at noon because she is not welcomed
to be there in the morning when the other women in the community go for water. She
is alone and going about her daily routine just like you and I do every day. Sometimes
our tasks are ordinary and on the dull side. And then we have a moment when we recognize the Holy One, or
Jesus, or the Spirit in someone or something. We become aware just like this
woman and our hearts are lifted. After
spending time, sparring with, questioning, Jesus what does this woman do? She runs to her community and brings
them to hear the Good News. This is our challenge every day: to spend time,
spar maybe, question too and then bring the Good News to our family, friends,
communities. Please share your insights, and thoughts. What did you hear today?
Communion song: Come to the Water by John Foley, SJ
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