Water

What is this that you see here in front of you? Water? What is its use? Where is water used ? When do you use water ? Approximately ...

What is this that you see here in front of you? Water? What is its use? Where is water used? When do you use water?

Approximately seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water, the oceans hold about ninety-six point five percent of all water on Earth. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, into rivers and lakes in the polar caps, glaciers, soil, and groundwater, as well as in you and in your dog. Without water, we would all die. On the other hand, when there is too much water or the water is polluted, we die. However, WATER IS THE ELEMENT OF UNIVERSAL LIFE.

In addition, water can dissolve a variety of different substances, that is why it is a good solvent. WE CALL IT AS THE "UNIVERSAL SOLVENT" because it is more effective than any other liquid in dissolving other substances.

As I told you last Sunday, the five Sundays of Lent are five catechetical materials for those who will be baptized during the vigil of Easter and as a reminder of our baptism. Today, on this third Sunday of Lent, we talk about the main element that is used in baptism. And what do we use to baptize? - WATER. 

To make our reflection simple, let us use the two water features that I have mentioned a while ago. We use these two main characteristics of the water to connect them to the identity of Christ: WATER AS A MAIN ELEMENT OF LIFE. AND WATER AS A SOLVENT UNIVERSAL. 

WATER AS A MAIN ELEMENT OF LIFE. The first reading gives us some clue. People murmured and disputed if the Lord is with them or not. Then Moses, according to the instructions of the Lord, brought forth water from the rock. This happened because, really, God was with them. The Lord said, I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. The Lord was present. And we all know that wherever the Lord is, there is water, there is life. The presence of the Lord, symbolized by water, gives life. 

Now the water, as the water that comes from Jacob's well, if taken, yes it quenches the thirst, but not forever. Death will still come when it's our time. Jesus, in the Gospel, he said to the Samaritan woman: "Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. " In other words, Jesus was telling us through this narration that with him, we will have eternal life.

We are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. And in baptism, we become symbols and presence of  Christ himself on earth. This means that Jesus is present in us. He dwells in us. WE BECOME SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST. You know what this means? This means that as baptized Christians, it is not only life on earth that we get, we also earn our ticket to eternal life. Jesus is our water, our main thing to have eternal life.  

WATER AS A UNIVERSAL SOLVENT. In front of Jesus, the woman was unable to hide his identity, his sins. Jesus told her everything he had done. He had many husbands, and the one whom she is now is not her real husband. In effect, Jesus had saved and converted her. It was not explicitly written in the Gospel, but with what had happened, she was, her sins were forgiven, HER SINS HAD BEEN DISSOLVED. 

The water in Baptism symbolizes the DISSOLVING POWER that the presence of Christ in us can do. First, Baptism dissolves the original sin. Second, Jesus died for us at the appointed time, to purify us and save us. His presence in us, dissolves all that is not pure. And so every time water is poured on us during baptism or sprinkled to us during the Easter season, we are reminded that we too must die from our old self and be new, be reborn in Christ.

JESUS, BAPTISM, SYMBOLIZED BY WATER - IS THE MAIN ELEMENT AND THE UNIVERSAL SOLVENT OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. WITHOUT HIM, WITH OUT GOD, WE ALL DIE. WITHOUT HIM, WE REMAIN TO BE UNCLEANED, WE REMAIN TO BE SINNERS.