Opening Prayer Series: Third Sunday of Lent Year A

The Opening Prayer for the Third Sunday of Lent Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(for confidence in the love of God 

and the strength to overcome all our weakness)

Father,

You have taught us to overcome our sins

by prayer, fasting and works of mercy, 

When we are discouraged by our weakness, 

give us confidence in Your love. 

In making this prayer tangible for this coming week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What place does the love of God have in my life?
2. How will I place more value on the love of God this coming week?
3. What are my weaknesses and what is my plan/strategy to overcome them?
4. How is my Lenten effort of prayer, fasting and works of mercy progressing? Does it need a revamp for the rest of Lent?
5. What value do I put on the sacrament of Reconciliation in my life?
6. Would a regular reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation prevent discouragement from my weakness and give me confidence in God's love?  ( for example: if you are not sure, or receiving the sacrament is not a regular part of your spiritual life, you may wish to try it out regularly for a set period and see for yourself).

Today's Gospel of the Woman at the Well encourages us to think and place God first in our lives. He knows we need the practicalities of life, but when these are in short supply, we must have faith to know that God will supply them for us. In fact God has already prepared an answer to our need, but we must have faith in Him.
It also encourages us to be a channel for others. God can take our little faith and use it to attract others to Him through us if we do our part. The woman at the well, once she was given the gift of faith, told others in her town about it, who also came to see Jesus. Once they saw, they believed not on her own testimony alone, but because their faith had been enlarged.

So what are we waiting for this Lent? Let us make it a habit to trust in God who supplies all our needs, and where we can, share our faith with others. You may be surprised how far your stream of living water ( Holy Spirit) will extend.

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