Less than three years ago, Iowa was hit by the floods of 2008. Much of the focus of our state and country was on Cedar Rapids, because they lost so much. But we up north, in Mason City were I was at the time, also got hit pretty badly. The flood took out our water plant. So for four and a half days, we had no water. No showers. No toilets. No resturants open. Only bottled drinking water. It was not a fun experience, but it did teach me how important water is in our everyday life. If given the choice, I would much rather go 4 1/2 days without electricity than 4 1/2 days without water.

Water is the key symbol in today's Gospel. At the town well, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman. She is doing her daily task of drawing water from the well. We only read a part of this story, but if we read the whole thing, we realize that this woman, not unlike many of us, has had a life full of dead ends. As the old country and western song goes, she was looking for love in all the wrong places.

Using the image of water, Jesus invites her into a relationship with him, a relationship that begins in water, in our Baptism. And in this extended conversation, Jesus asks her: In all these frantic attempts to find joy, what are you really looking for?

This is a good question for all of us to ponder during Lent, as we walk with the seven elect who are preparing to enter into the water of Baptism. What are we looking for? How do we find joy that really lasts? What is life all about?

Last month, Archbishop Hanus was here for an annual dinner we for young men who have an openness to the priesthood. Part of the evening is a panel discussion with priests from the area. One priest spoke of how he would idealize missionary priests who make great sacrifices to go to parts of the world that are so poor. He mentioned this to one missionary priest, and this is what the missionary priest told him:

Actually, I feel your job is much more difficult than mine. My people are poor, but they have so much spiritual wealth. Your people are not so poor, but they have so much spiritual poverty. I think being a priest today in America is much harder than what I do.

I think of how we use the words, less fortunate, or disadvantaged, when speaking of the poor. What does that say about us? Yes, they have less material things, but it does not mean that they do not have quality of life, or strength of faith, or depth of soul. Often it is just the opposite.

We in America have a tremendous spiritual thirst. Think of how many billions of dollars we spend on illegal drugs each year. Somebody is looking for something. Somebody is looking for happiness. Somebody is looking for peace. And yet, instead of feeling our thirst in a way that leads us to Jesus, we medicate it with our addictions, we ignore it with our busyness, and we avoid it with our overdoes of e-mails, Facebook, and twitters. Those in the Third World do not have that luxuary, or better put, that disability. Maybe that is why they have such spiritual wealth, and feel a bit sorry for us.

In today's Gospel, Jesus asks the Samaritan woman: What are you looking for in life? What is your deepest thirst? In the end, the what is answered by a who. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.