In the first reading the grumbling, mistrust and lack of gratitude shown by the Israelites as they journey through the desert is the very opposite of the attitudes of faith and trust needed in those who seek Living Water. In the face of their grumbling, Moses, the great intercessor and mediator lifts up his hands in prayer. In contrast to the people’s mistrust in God, Moses places his trust in his power to save his people—even his rebellious people. When “the going gets tough”, when resources are running low, we are called more than ever to place our trust in God. The water pouring from the Rock shows God’s care for his people. The water also prefigures the living waters of baptism.

The second reading reminds us that in and through the Holy Spirit “the love of God has been poured into our hearts”. What a beautiful thought to often reflect on. In today’s gospel, we have a concrete example of the love of God being poured into a nameless woman with a history of broken relationships.

The Gospel

This is a story of a woman coming to faith in Jesus, the Living Water and leading others to place their trust in him.

The story opens with a beautiful image of the human Jesus. He is tired and thirsty. By speaking to a Samaritan woman in public, Jesus was violating two cultural taboos: Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans and Jewish men didn’t speak to strange women in public. So, by speaking to this woman, Jesus was attacking centuries of prejudice toward women and Samaritans.

As the story unfolds and as the woman opens up to Jesus, he gradually reveals his true nature to her. Initially, she calls him, “Sir” then “prophet” and finally, “Messiah”. Jesus reveals himself as the “Living Water” that she was unconsciously searching for in her relationship with her five husbands.

In verses 21-24, there is a discussion about true worship. Jesus tells us that worship is not made authentic by the place where one worships (Jerusalem or Gerizim) but by the Spirit and truth in which one prays.

In verses 27-38, Jesus has a dialog with his disciples who are very surprised, if not scandalized to see him talking to a Samaritan woman. “Why are you talking with her?” they ask. Then they offer him food. Jesus responds by telling them that his “food is to do the will of him who sent me” (v.34). Doing the will of his Father was the central consuming passion of Jesus’ life. Then he urges them to pray that more workers be raised up to reap a harvest ready to be harvested—probably a reference to the Gentiles hungry for Good News.

In the meantime, the woman filled with the Living Water races back to her village to share her Good News. “Come and see a man who told me everything I have done. Could this be the Christ? The rejected and scorned woman becomes a messenger of God’s love. Who said that we don’t have a future with Jesus, irrespective of our past. The people invite Jesus to stay in their village. After a “retreat with Jesus” they say to the woman: “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” A favorite theme of John is that Jesus is known by “a personally experienced faith contact” and not just by hearsay.

Finally, this story brings alive many of the promises and verses of the Old Testament. For example: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). “All you who are thirsty come to the water...come without praying, without cost, drink.” (Is 55:1)

Finding our own Well

Fr. Flor McCarthy offers the following reflection on today’s gospel.

We know how pathetic it is when people become dependent on material hand-outs. There is no development, no growth. There is only stagnation, and in all probability regression too. Dependency has a corrosive effect—it erodes pride and self-respect. What people need is not a hand out but a hand-up. People can become spiritually dependent also, and that too is pathetic.

Once there was a woman who had to make a daily trip of a mile to draw water from a public well. Over the years she grew weary of the journey. No matter how much water she brought home, she always ended up with an empty container.

Then one day she was doing some work in her own garden when in a remote corner she came upon a large flagstone lying on the ground. The flagstone was completely covered with moss. Her curiosity flared up. She cleared away the moss, then removed the flagstone to discover a lovely well. She was thrilled. Never again would she have to make that tiresome journey to the public well. She now had an unfailing source of water of her own.

Most of us have been through years of education and spiritual formation of one kind or another. During those years we have had many teachers and spiritual guides. These worked hard at providing us with the waters of knowledge, waters drawn from their own or other people’s wells. But we still thirsted. If only our teachers had helped us to find our own well, how much further on we would now be. Surely that should have been their chief concern.

It seems to me that this is what Jesus did for the Samaritan woman. She had been searching for love and happiness but always outside herself. Jesus directed her to search inward.

Ever so gently, he showed her that up to now she had been looking for the right thing (love), but in the wrong places. Then he told her that he could give her the ‘water’ that would quench her thirst for love and meaning in life. Where was this water to come from? Surprisingly, it was to come from inside herself. The spring was already there. It was just that up to now it had been hidden and blocked off.

Many spiritual teachers fill others from their own abundance. This is good up to a point. It can show people the riches that are available. But it can easily result in making people dependent on the teacher, so that they are content to live on spiritual hand-outs.

This approach makes people painfully aware of their own emptiness. Sadly, many are content to live like that.

Christ made people aware of their own emptiness, but didn’t leave it at that. He showed them how to begin to fill this emptiness, not from without, but from within.

Oh, that we may find the inner well, the well that lies hidden under the moss in our hearts Then we won’t have to be running here, there and everywhere in search of spiritual nourishment. We will have an unfailing source inside us. We must believe that this well is really there.

What is this inner spring? It is the life of God bubbling up inside us. The discovery of God is like a spring within us. A spring from which we can drink and refresh ourselves. A spring which bubbles up into eternal life.

Reflection Questions