Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis
with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Third Sunday of Lent, Year, A – March 15, 2020
Readings: Ex 17:3-7; Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2.6-7abc.7d-9(R7d,8a);
2nd
Rom 5:1-2.5-8 & Gospel Jn. 4-5-42 Or Jn. 4:5-15.19b26.39a.40-42.
Theme: Be Marketers of the
Kingdom!
Sunday
Synopsis
In response to the grumbling of the Israelites
at Massah and Meribah about physical thirst, God provided them with water as
our first reading (Ex 17:3-17) indicates. In the second reading (Rom
5:1-2.5-8), St. Paul suggest that the theological virtues of faith, hope and
love can quench the thirst of any soul that longs for God. While Moses gave the
Israelites physical water, Jesus promised the Woman of Samaria “Living Water.”
Our liturgy indicates that both Moses and Jesus want us to be marketers of
God’s love and mercy to a troubled world.
Introduction
Friends in Christ, our readings today present Jesus as a marketer per
excellence who invites us to be marketers of the kingdom. From the grumbling of
the Israelites about physical water in the first reading, our liturgy takes us
through the promise of the “living water” by Jesus to the woman of Samaria at
Jacob’s well. In a society where Jews and Samaritans, men and women don’t
easily mix, an exciting encounter turns a supposedly wayward woman into the
first herald of the gospel in her city. We shall scan through the readings for
the requisite pastoral lessons.
Background and Summary of
the Readings
The first reading (Ex 17:3-17) relates the story of the grumbling of the people
of Israel over water. In fact, it narrates that they almost stoned Moses. They quarried
why God brought them out of Egypt. Moses responded by asking God to provide them
with water. We are told that God ordered Moses to take some elders of Israel
and move to the fore front of the people and with the staff in his hands at
Horeb, strike the rock. At that, water gushed out and the place was named
Massah and Meribah because it was there that the Israelites grumbled against
God and tested him.
In the second reading (Rom 5:1-2.5-8), St. Paul tells us that by faith,
we are judged righteous and are at peace with God. He stresses that hope does
not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by his Spirit.
He maintains that while we were still helpless, Christ died for sinful humanity
even as he discloses that it is not easy to even die for a good man. He surmises
that what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were
still sinners.
In a society where Jews and Samaritans, men and women don’t easily mix or
relate with each other publicly, the gospel (Jn.
4:5-15.19b26.39a.40-42) reveals the
story of the woman of Samaria who went in search of water and met a stranger (Jesus)
who took her through the worship of the true God in Spirit and in Truth. He
also tells her all that she has ever done; at the jaw-breaking encounter, she
throws her jar of water and goes to the city to give a testimony of her
experience. We are told that many people from that city believed in him not
only on account of the woman’s testimony but based on their eye-witness
account.
AIDA Model
of Marketing as Recipe for Our Liturgy
Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action (AIDA) is a marketing strategy
that advertisers use as a bait to entice customers to purchase their products.
1. “A”
stands for Awareness: According
to this theory, one has to be aware
of a product before he thinks of buying it.
2. “I” means
Interest: This means that one has to
develop an interest in a certain
product before one patronises it.
3. “D”
represents Desire: Here, a
person ought to desire goods before
he or she acquires them.
4. “A”
denotes Action: This is the main or actual action of buying the item.
This principle fits into our liturgy because the encounter between Jesus
and the woman of Samaria presents a scenario which brings out the AIDA
principle. Jesus was aware of all
this woman had gone through; he became interested
in saving her and he ignited the desire for “living water” in her. The good
news is that she fell for his “product” because we are told, she left her water-jar
and ran back to the village where she told the people: “Come, see a man who
told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” Therefore, she became the
first herald of the gospel in her town.
Pastoral and
Practical Lessons
1. Be
Marketers of the Kingdom: While Moses gave the
Israelites water at Massah and Meribah, Jesus promises the woman of Samaria Living Water which shows that both Moses
and Jesus teach us to be marketers of God’s love, mercy and hope who are
charged to recruit others for kingdom like the woman in the gospel.
2. Practice
the Theological Virtues: In the
second reading, St. Paul encourages us to embrace the theological virtues of
faith, hope and love bearing in mind that hope does not disappoint because
God’s love has been poured into our hearts by his Spirit.
3. Desire
the Water of Life: Jesus
asked the woman of Samaria for a drink in order to ignite the desire for God in
her soul, as such, we are charged to always desire the Living Water which wells up to eternal life.
