Lent, 3rd Sunday (A) The Samaritan woman doesn't plan on meeting anyone on her daily trip the well. But Jesus is waiting there for her. He knows her, and he accepts her. This realization changes her life. No longer does she need her daily fill of water; she has found the One who truly satisfies.

The water here symbolizes all those things that we get addicted to:

• Ways to get high, like binge drinking, drugs or thrill-seeking.
• Forms of mindlessness like television, video games and internet.
• Addictive activities like shopping, gambling, eating, or being constantly busy.
• Relationships like children, being single, being popular, or serial dating.

Most of these things could be good and give us joy. The problem is when we use them to fill a sense of emptiness. Instead of giving us joy, they cause us to crave more. Our appetites are infinite; only God is infinite enough to satisfy us. The Samaritan woman discovers this; Elizabeth Taylor never did. Will you? (27 Mar 2011)