Third Sunday Of Lent

8 March 2026

Collect Prayer

O God, author of every mercy and of all goodness, who in fasting, prayer and almsgiving have shown us a remedy for sin, look graciously on this confession of our lowliness, that we, who are bowed down by our conscience, may always be lifted up by your mercy.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ…

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Readings

 Exodus 17:3-7     Psalm 95    Romans 5:1-2 , 5-8  

John 4:5-42

Jesus came to the Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there and Jesus, tired by the journey, sat straight down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?” Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritans.

Jesus replied: “If you only knew what God is offering and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have been the one to ask, and he would have given you living water.”

“You have no bucket, sir,” she answered, “and the well is deep. How could you get this living water? Are you a greater man than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself with his sons and his cattle?”

Jesus replied: “Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again. The water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.”

“Sir,” said the woman, “give me some of that water, so that I may never get thirsty and never have to come here again to draw water.”

[…]

“I see you are a prophet, sir,” said the woman. “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, while you say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

Jesus said: “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation comes from the Jews. But the hour will come, in fact it is here already, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. That is the kind of worshipper the Father wants. God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.”

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah, that is Christ, is coming; and when he comes he will tell us everything.”

“I who am speaking to you,” said Jesus, “I am he.”

[…]

Many Samaritans of that town had believed in him on the strength of the woman’s testimony. So, when the Samaritans came up to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed for two days, and when he spoke to them many more came to believe. They said to the woman, “Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the saviour of the world.”

Readings Next Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent)

 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a     Psalm 23    Romans 5:8-14   John 9:1-41  

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Saints of the week

Tue 10 | The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

Thu 12 | St. Luigi Orione, priest

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A spring of water welling up to eternal life…

Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 27 March 2011

This Third Sunday of Lent is marked by Jesus’ famous dialogue with the Samaritan woman, recounted by the evangelist John. The woman went every day to draw water from an ancient well dating back to the patriarch Jacob, and on that day she found Jesus sitting there, “weary from his journey” (Jn 4:6).

Jesus’ fatigue, a sign of his true humanity, can be seen as a prelude to the Passion, through which he brought about the work of our redemption. In particular, in the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, the theme of Christ’s thirst emerges, culminating in his cry on the cross: “I thirst” (Jn 19:28).

Certainly, this thirst, like fatigue, has a physical basis. But Jesus, as Augustine says, “was thirsty for that woman’s faith” (In Ioh. Ev. 15:11), as he was for the faith of all of us.

God the Father sent him to satisfy our thirst for eternal life, giving us his love. But in order to give us this gift, Jesus asks for our faith. The omnipotence of Love always respects human freedom. It knocks on our hearts and waits patiently for our response.

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Weekly News

Diocesan Pilgrimage: In the Footsteps of Saint Paul

13–18 April 2026.

Limited places. More information on the notice board.

Registration forms available from Fr. Ismael or Fr. Alessandro.

Lenten Alms

We will support the Home for Disable Children “Niño Dios” in Bethlehem.

Study Group: Compendium of the Catechism

Next encounter: 13 March at 6:30pm at the office. To join, contact Fr. Alessandro.

Caritas St. Paul's

Thank you for your prayers, contributions, food and clothes donations … we can also reuse your shopping bags. If you wish to volunteer, please, contact fr. Alessandro.

Pray For Vocations

The Latin Vicariate of Cyprus is dedicating a Year of Prayer for Vocations to the priesthood, religious, married or consecrated lives. Join us! For more information contact Sister Elizabeth (95983631 / pastoralcareofvocationscyprus@gmail.com)

Parish Community Shop

Refreshments, coffee and tea. Check our religious section for rosaries, Christmas Cards, scapulars, devotionals, etc. Check also our books sections. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet other parishioners and grow as community. All funds will go to the building of the new Church. If you’d like to volunteer, please talk to Fr. Ismael.

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Lenten Mass schedule

10 - 15  March

Mon: No Mass;

Tue, Thu, Masses at 9:00am in Agia Kyriaki

Wed: Mass at 12:00pm in Agia Kyriaki

Fri: Mass at 11:30am followed by Stations of The Cross

Saturday: Masses at 4:30pm (AK); 6:15pm (town of Polis)

Sunday: Masses at 10am, 11am & 12pm (AK)

Eucharistic Adoration: Wed at 10:50am in AK; Thu at 6pm in AK

Holy Rosary: Sat at 4pm in AK

Filipino Mass on last Sunday of the month at 12pm.

Sri-Lankan Mass on 3rd Sunday of the month, 12pm (Presbitery chapel)

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Prayer for Vocation to Priesthood

Almighty and eternal God, in your unfailing love you provide ministers for your Church. We pray for those whom you call to serve the Church of Cyprus as priest and deacon. Inspire in them a generous response. Grant them courage and vision to serve your people.

May their lives and service inspire your people to recognize the presence of your Spirit among us and to answer his call. May they, faithful to the Gospel and with hope in Jesus Christ, announce glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives, set prisoners free, and renew the face of the earth.

Amen.