There is a distinctive spiritual message to be taken from today’s three biblical authors. And it reveals itself to us through the desire to have our bodily and spiritual thirsts satisfied.

The Exodus details Israel’s predicament in the wilderness. Without water there, they and their children and livestock are destined to die from thirst. So, through Moses, their intercessor with God, a miracle saves them all. This is a further proof that the God of Israel possesses not only incredible power, but is also a compassionate being whose goodness is never exhausted. That is really most evident despite Israel’s discontent and habitual waywardness.

Paul’s thinking in Romans today revolves around faith, hope and love. Because human life had been greatly weakened by sin, there was a serious need for divine intervention to remedy that situation and so restore humanity to a right or just state of existence. Enlightened by faith and living in hope, we humans can recognise that perfect form of love made visible in Christ’s sacrifice on behalf of all sinners. Again, this is something only made possible by the hand of God.

Today’s Gospel exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is a delightful piece of dialogue that well illustrates the difference between natural and spiritual needs. What Jesus offers this woman – with her background – is far more than anything she might have ever expected. His living water changes her life, taking her in quite a different direction. Such is her introduction to this new life that she immediately becomes the messenger who leads many others to believe in Jesus and his offer of eternal life.

This special set of biblical readings is a suitable means for all of us to enter into reflection and judge how we might grow spiritually during these weeks of Lent.

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These readings give insight into the divine plan that has been working itself out in human history. But it is particularly God’s intervention in that history that is to the fore today.

When, in Genesis, the Lord speaks to Abraham for the first time, his words are profoundly challenging. Having to uproot himself from a settled life in Haran and head off to an unknown land surely strikes us as daring and perhaps even foolhardy. However, in light of what God promises him, the foretold blessings are an enormous influence. And so, Abraham responds unhesitatingly, trusting valiantly in the future good to come.

That faith that Abraham exemplifies is also evident in the few words from 2 Timothy. At the heart of these verses is everyone’s call to live out the message of the Gospel. And that is a task only possible because of three things. They are God’s power given to us, the grace made ours because of Jesus Christ, and the light of the Gospel that envelops all our thinking and acting. This Pauline perspective is fit encouragement to become what God has called us to be.

What is revealed through Matthew’s transfiguration scene is yet another means of calling us to deeper faith in the mystery of Christ. For when we eavesdrop on God’s words here, we are being invited to profess our faith in Jesus, the Beloved of God, whose life, death and Resurrection hold the key to all future life. It is up to us to open our ears and respond to the call that is made anew this Lent.

Our hearing of all three readings this Sunday reminds us that the faith we share is precious. It is a faith that we pray will grow stronger, so as to be graced with blessings in abundance.

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How we deal with temptation, while living the life of faith, is the base theme for today’s Scriptures.

The Genesis reading relates the foundational story of human disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The curious encounter with the talking snake explores the choice we all have to make -whether to follow what God has commanded or be lured into pursuing a seemingly more satisfying end. Having chosen badly, the human couple immediately recognise their error and acquire unanticipated knowledge about themselves and their future. So, at the heart of this episode is a lesson to be learned about straying off track and not noting the good God wills for us all.

In Romans, Paul’s thoughts draw upon the Genesis incident. As heirs to the first human couple’s disobedience, Paul turns our sights to the wonder of what has been achieved because of the human Jesus. In and through his death, our glorious transformation has been made possible. This new and eternal life is reckoned to be a great grace, a totally free gift, given so that we may become strong, obedient advocates for all that is right and good.

Matthew’s description of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness helps us appreciate how God speaks to us through his Son. For, in dialogue with the devil, Jesus indicates how to rise above human aspirations. Accompanied first by the Holy Spirit and then by the angels, Jesus models for us the life of God’s Kingdom as it is revealed in the Scriptures. The mighty moment in the wilderness serves to inspire us to follow the Lord and not let temptations distract us from that.

These readings are an invitation to let this Lent be a season of grace and insight that stirs in us the desire to hear the Word well and act upon it faithfully.

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A number of ideas associated with God and neighbour come together in these readings. Of key importance, however, are God’s holiness and the love we are expected to extend to everyone around us.

Leviticus speaks very plainly about our relationship with God and the way we must regard people of our acquaintance. Together these two aspects of our lives present us with a challenge of sorts. For it is in the call to imitate God that we find the measure for judging our relationships with others. Getting to know that and his holiness require us to live as God’s sons and daughters. And “love” is the word that characterises people who truly have care and concern for one another, especially in particular circumstances.

Paul’s focus in 1 Corinthians taps into a similar train of thought. Seeing ourselves as God’s holy temple, where the Holy Spirit dwells, means that we are to conduct our lives very much aware of the fact. Paul’s point is thus a very simple one. For if we are to acknowledge our true identity in God and Christ, we have to act accordingly.

In today’s text from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ teaching echoes this necessary attitude to our faith life. And, in some respects, his words here are a more radical call to imitate God. Love of both neighbour and enemy spells out what God desires of us; that we be his committed agents, proclaiming the Good News far and wide, without setting hard and fast boundaries. This participation in bringing about God’s Kingdom thus calls for a deeply-felt understanding of what may be necessary.

These texts lay down a challenge. And as children of God, they cause us to reflect on holiness and dedication to the mission of living out the Good News.

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The wisdom featured in these passages of Scripture is straightforward and, therefore, quickly understood. Sirach, Paul and Matthew broach the topic with great simplicity.

So, in the first reading, choosing to live a good, holy and faithful existence proves to be the essence of Sirach’s wise words. The choice of living in faithfulness or sin is up to each individual. But the over-riding thought here is that God oversees our lives, willing the good for us all. Being able to grasp that is integral to our wisdom learning.

When Paul here addresses the Corinthians, he makes a distinction between worldly wisdom and the wisdom that comes from God, a wisdom revealed through the Word of God. What is revealed requires faith because it concerns the mystery of the crucified Lord and what God has prepared for all believers. This, in brief, is about a love that is shown and then calls for a response. Being able to see the power of heavenly wisdom set forth in these verses opens the way to eternal life.

In Matthew today, Jesus’ words come to us in a very stylised sequence of sayings. This pattern of speech uses a repeated formula to highlight Jesus’ personal, divine authority. That formula appears as ‘You have heard it said . . . but I say to you’. This makes it very clear that the wisdom spoken in these verses calls for a keen ear to hear these words properly and then implement the radical commitment they demand. This reinforces the fact that a choice has to be made concerning the good life God calls everyone to embrace every day.

When heard in all their simplicity, this Sunday’s readings speak a message that is direct, while reflecting the wisdom that God makes known to us through his revealed Word.

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Today, biblical thinking guides our understanding of what God asks of his people. And the image of light looms large in this context, because it emphasises the effect our lives are meant to produce.

Because of all the woes and sadness suffered in the wake of the exile, Isaiah is consciously developing in the people of Israel a renewed sense of positive thinking, looking to the future. The way forward demands a new attitude to life, one centred on being a light for others. In essence, this means learning again how right concern for one’s neighbours makes for a brighter future. By their express love for the community at large, a people’s personal witness shines a light on the good deeds willed by God and designed for daily faith and lifestyle.

Paul’s focus this Sunday is on the Gospel he proclaims. He says, quite simply, that his mission is to bring the mystery of God alive for all his listeners. Taking the crucified Jesus as his key image, he professes that he is only able to accomplish his task because of the powerful divine presence of the Father and the Spirit. This Gospel focus is, for him, the essence of Christian faith.

Jesus’ words in Matthew regarding the light are complementary to the Isaiah text. They nicely illustrate the function of light within the dark interior of an ancient Palestinian house. For the light must be placed in the right spot to dispel the house’s natural darkness. Comparing that to the Christian life, one’s good deeds are the light – openly and fittingly honouring God the Father.

Following a simple line of thought, these biblical authors help us know immediately what God asks of us. We are to be shining examples of God’s will so that the world may also see the light.

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Today’s readings give us a real sense of what our lives in Jesus Christ are to be like. Each author guides us to ponder the bright future God sets before us.

Isaiah orients these thoughts towards focusing upon a specific territory within the Holy Land. And that is the Galilee, an unlikely place in many respects. That is because the South, and Jerusalem in particular, is most often the prime place of reference for Jewish worship and pilgrimage. From up North however, Isaiah prophesies, there will arise a new, transforming light that will restore stability to Israel – a great joy to look forward to.

Paul also has a mind to re-direct the attitudes and thinking of the Corinthians. He is calling for a unified vision of what it means to belong to the Church. And proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ, that is the Good News concerning the new life won by our crucified saviour, must become a key focus point for every member of that Church. Realigning one’s thinking in this manner is thus a lesson all should adopt.

The Gospel from Matthew connects with the earlier readings through its focus on the Galilee foreseen by Isaiah and Jesus as he begins to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven. It is particularly significant here that Jesus calls his first disciples to accompany him in this mission. And they immediately drop everything to fall in behind him. It is in this context that we see the importance of understanding what Jesus came to say and do and what successive generations of believers continue to deliver in his name.

The insight offered by these readings comes from their focus on God’s great plan for us all. A new light has indeed shone in our midst and we must endeavour to keep it burning brightly.

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