Homily on the 3rd Sunday of Lent, 8 March 2026, SJBP Cotcot, Liloan
The Thirst No One Can Quench
Water can be destructive. But it can also be life-giving.
Last November 4 when we were hit by Typhoon Tino in Cebu we were expecting winds as powerful as those of Typhoon Odette. But surprisingly Tino’s winds were quite friendly. What caught all of us unprepared was the volume of rain water that caused the rivers to swell, flash floods as high as the first floor, and landslides in the mountain barangays. The result was not only great damage to structures, vehicles and properties but also casualties in human lives, many of them among our very own parishioners.
We in the Provincial House were not spared. The flash floods coming from our neighbour’s property suddenly toppled down our perimeter wall. And in just a few seconds the muddy water was everywhere including our offices at the ground floor.
What made everything worse was the power outage. Several places in Cebu including Liloan had brownouts for several weeks. With no power came the scarcity of potable water. But God in his mercy did not abandon his people. After a few days he sent kind-hearted people moved by compassion to bring relief goods including potable water for the flood victims. You see, water can be destructive. But on the other hand it can also be life-giving.
We have entered the third week of our Lenten preparation for Easter. And the theme of this Sunday’s liturgy points to Christ, the Living Water that quenches our deepest thirst.
We know that man can survive without food up to several weeks. However, if he stays without water for several days, he shall surely die. In today’s first reading (Ex 17:3-7), we heard the story of how the Israelites’ thirst was miraculously satisfied by the flowing water that God provided for them. Prior to that, however, when they had no more water to drink during their exodus from Egypt they started complaining against Moses. They told him that they would have preferred to remain slaves in Egypt rather than to die of thirst in that deserted place where there was absolutely no water.
Surprisingly, however, despite their grumbling, God remained patient with them. He listened to Moses’ prayer interceding on behalf of his beloved people. And, moved by compassion, he provided them with flowing water coming from the rock, which Moses, following his command, struck with the staff he was carrying. Thus was the entire nation of Israel spared from dying of thirst in their journey across the desert.
In the Gospel passage we have heard today (Jn 4:5-42) Jesus is presented as someone who feels tired and thirsty like any other man after a long journey. However, instead of complaining about his unsatisfied need, he came to a particular well outside the town. He sat by it and courteously asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. Just like Jesus, the woman who came to the well was also thirsty. But deeper than her thirst for water was a human thirst for genuine love. In fact, she already had five different husbands and the one she was living with was not her real husband.
On the other hand, beyond Jesus’ thirst for water was actually a divine thirst for faith. He longed to see people who would manifest a deep faith in him. At this point allow me to speak to you in Tagalog: Uhaw ang babae hindi lang sa tubig kundi sa tunay na pag-ibig. Si Hesus naman, uhaw din pero hindi lang sa tubig kundi sa malalim na pananalig. Ang babae uhaw sa pag-ibig, ang Panginoon uhaw sa pananalig. If I try to say it in English or Cebuano, the poetic rhyme would definitely disappear: The woman was thirsting for true love, while Jesus was thirsting for true faith.
The good news is this, the conversation between Jesus and the woman turned out to be very good beyond their expectation. The woman found in Jesus the kind of love she had been looking for, while Jesus found in that Samaritan the kind of faith he had been looking for.
Now, there is one detail in that dialogue which is very striking. It is this, when the woman told Jesus that she does not have a husband, Jesus did not say frankly to her face “Bakakon ka” or “You are a liar.” On the contrary he affirmed her statement by saying “You are right… for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.” I believe that those words were Jesus’ gentle way of pointing out to her where exactly she made the wrong move, and that he knew her much more than she ever knew herself.
Therefore, when Jesus presented himself to her as the One and only One who can provide her with living water, the woman began to believe in him. And after that, she immediately run back to the town in order to spread the good news to everyone. Thus she instantly became a “Maretes” of good news, so that others could also find in Jesus the full satisfaction of their deepest thirst in life.
We too have our own personal longings in life. We crave not only for particular food but also for other worldly pleasures, and at times also for position, power and popularity. We thirst not only for satisfying and addictive drinks but also for other people’s attention, recognition and affirmation. However, on this third Sunday of Lent, Jesus is sitting here among us, not anymore by the well, but by this ambo and the altar of sacrifice. He is telling us that he is the “One and Only One” who can ever satisfy the deepest thirst and cravings in our life. He is the very person who can offer us true happiness, particularly in our prayer moments, in our meditation on God’s Word, and in the celebration of the Sacraments.
And once we realize that he is truly the One who fills our hearts completely, he is sending us to others – that we too may become wellsprings of living water for other people who are still thirsting and searching for the living God.
May this Eucharist we celebrate be a real encounter with Jesus, who alone can fill our hearts with joy and love to overflowing. GiGsss!