Our Lenten baptismal journey: Water – light – life
Monday, March 9, 2026
*Fr. Javier Lopez SJ
Lent during this liturgical cycle constitutes a true itinerary of baptismal initiation or renewal. Through the Gospel of John, the Church proposes three personal encounters that transform existence: the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and Lazarus raised from the dead. Each narrative represents a stage of the journey that leads us from darkness to the light of Easter.
On the third Sunday, we pause at the well of Sychar with the Samaritan woman. There, Jesus presents himself as the "Living Water." Their dialogue reveals that human beings possess a profound thirst that no material reality can quench. By offering the water that wells up to eternal life, Jesus gives an answer to the woman’s restlessness and transforms her into a missionary; it is the stage of searching for living water and conversion.
The fourth Sunday introduces us to the man born blind. The mud and the washing in the Pool of Siloam directly evoke the symbolism of baptism, which in ancient tradition was called "Illumination." Jesus does not merely heal physical eyes but opens the eyes of faith. While those who claim to see remain in the blindness of pride, the one who recognizes his limitations ends up seeing and kneeling before the Lord. This is the stage of light and a new vision.
Finally, on the fifth Sunday, we arrive at Bethany with the raising of Lazarus. This is the definitive sign before the Passion, where Jesus proclaims himself as "the Resurrection and the Life." Before the tomb, Jesus’ weeping and his command to "take away the stone" prepare us for the Paschal Mystery. This is not simply a return to biological life, but a liberation from the bonds of sin through the Word of Christ. It is the stage of life and final victory.
These three Sundays are articulated in a spiral. First, the Lord satisfies our thirst for meaning in our lives; then he illuminates our daily blindness to that we may recognize and bear witness to his presence; and finally, he tears us away from death to grant us a life that never ends. For those preparing for baptism or for those of us who will renew our promises at the Easter Vigil, these Johannine texts are the mirror in which we should look at ourselves. Lent is, in reality, an ascent toward the joy of knowing that we have a God who quenches our thirst, heals our shadows, and calls us by name to come out of the tomb and enjoy his eternal life.
