Holy Week begins. What an important week that we begin today. The Gospel passage that is read at the beginning of Mass commemorates Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the Passover. Today’s Liturgy of the Word concludes with Matthew’s version of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest and death on the Cross.

As we reach the Fifth Sunday of Lent, standing at the doorway of Holy Week, the Church invites us to listen again to Jesus’ bold and tender promise: “I am the resurrection and the life.” These words are meant to touch the very places where we struggle, hope, and long for renewal. Jesus does not simply restore life—He brings life wherever He is welcomed.

Jesus encounters a man who has been blind from birth. He restores his sight using dust and saliva, thus giving him a new beginning. Notice how Jesus uses ordinary means to bring extraordinary healing and grace. By using what the Jewish people considered unclean, Jesus demonstrates his power to make all things holy.

John’s Gospel today is the long and inspiring story of the woman at the well It is important to prayerfully imagine the scene. Jesus was all alone sitting next to Jacob’s Well around noon. Few women would come to the well at that time of day due to the heat. But this woman came at this time because she knew others would not be around. She was a sinner, and many of the other women of the town knew it.