03/15/2004: "Speaking of Sunday's Gospel reading"

For the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sunday's Lent, their is a choice for the readings between the readings from year A and the readings for the current year (year C this year). Our parish, because we have an active RCIA program always picks the year A option because of the 3 scrutinies that the Catechumens have during Lent (called Purification and Enlightenment for the RCIA) are centered around the readings for year A.

In any case, the Gospel reading of year A for Sunday of the 3rd week of Lent (yesterday) is the story of the woman at the well. This morning when I attended daily Mass, even though the reading was entirely different, it struck me how special it was that the Gospel reading of the day when Gregory was Baptized was the one of the most appropropriate ones for a Baptism:

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life."