Please read this passage before reading the homily.
My sisters and brothers,
“Neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem (nor in this building) ought we to adore the Father. We ought to adore him “in spirit and in truth”. “Those who want to give true worship to the Father ought to worship him in spirit and in truth, for such is how the Father wants to be worshipped.”
Those chosen to receive baptism at the Easter Vigil are studying the Scriptures to learn the truth about God. They want to adore God in his truth. They seek to know the word of God and his will. They want to be true disciples of Christ. They want to live according to God’s word. They are good examples for us. They challenge us in our life to worship God in spirit and truth.
The woman in the Gospel was looking for living water; she was not looking for dead, stagnant water. In nature, living water flows like river water or ocean water. The waters of the world flow with the spirit-breath of the wind, the spirit of the seasons, the spirit of the rain and snow. The living waters of the earth are clean and life-giving waters.
Baptismal water is living water. It flows with the spirit-breath of the Holy Spirit, with the force of the Father in the union of the Son, our Lord.
Those chosen to receive this living water at their baptism at the Easter Vigil are learning to worship God in spirit and in truth. They need our help. They need to see us living and worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
For us, we rejoice to see the chosen studying the word of God and wanting to walk with God in spirit and in truth. We need to walk with God in spirit and in truth. We need to use this time called Lent likewise to know better how to live worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
(By the way, we do need to worship in spirit and in truth as a body of people, not just by ourselves alone.)