March 12, 2023
Today we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Lent. Thirsting for water figures prominently in our scriptures. In the first reading from Exodus the Israelites grumble against Moses. Among their complaints is the their thirst for water. We hear the two names, Massah and Meribah, the places where they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” As we turn to the Gospel, we have the story of Jesus visiting a Samaritan town called Sychar. He sits down there near Jacob’s well under the full sun of noonday. Here He encounters a woman of questionable moral repute whom He asks for a drink. At this time men rarely spoke to women in public and Jews didn’t even acknowledge Samaritans. What ensues is a revelation of both His identity and the woman’s. He reveals that He can provide ‘Living Water.’ He says to her, “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.” As ‘Living Water’ the Church sees a reference to Baptism and especially uses this Gospel passage to help those who are preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter. We who know the Living Water of Jesus are preparing to renew our Baptismal Covenant on Easter Sunday. As Jesus leads the Woman at the Well to know Him, she doesn’t keep it to herself. She goes and shares the Good News. The result is many came to believe in Jesus, saying, “We have heard for ourselves and we know that this truly the Savior of the world.”
The Second Draft model of All Things New reconfigured many pastorates, ours included. The first Model had St. Luke, Our Lady of Lourdes, Little Flower and Immaculate Conception becoming a new pastorate. The second model moved St. Luke apart from Our Lady of Lourdes and combined us with Little Flower, Immaculate Conception and St. Mary Magdalen. Both Msgr, Hanneke from OLL, and I have met with Fr. Chris Martin, the director of All Things New, and shared our strong belief that the Original Model would better serve a new pastorate and would ensure that McMahon Field, which OLL entered into a 10 year agreement with St. Luke, and has made numerous improvements to the field, would be part of the assets of the new pastorate. A member of the Men’s Guild also showed me a proposal in the Second Model that would move St. Barnabas Latin Group to the Oratory of Sts. Gregory and Augustine, creating a community of 1,000 families. This would probably necessitate the addition of Latin masses, thereby excluding a possibility in the future of a new pastorate involving St. Luke to continue even one mass in our beautiful Church.
Finally this week, if you enjoyed the fun of Trivia Night, Immaculate Conception is hosting a Trivia Night on Saturday, March 25th. I’m sure they would love to see you there. Contact the Parish Office at IC for more information: (314) 645-3307.
As Lent continues, I see more and more parishioners taking advantage of daily Mass, now offered Monday thru Friday. I hope more and more take advantage of this.
God Bless! Happy Lent!
Please continue praying 3 Hail Marys. Fr. Pete