Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

Sometimes a journey of great significance covers a very short distance, geo-graphically speaking. Flannery O’Connor once said that everything important  happened to her between the back door of the house and the chicken coop.  Moses led the people of Israel from grumbling and complaining to a renewed  faith by walking a few feet to tap a rock. 

The journey in today’s Gospel is an inner journey into faith in Jesus. Notice  how the woman’s perspective changes as the story progresses. With that change  of perception comes a change of heart. Her first response to Jesus’ request for  a drink of water is curt: “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for  a drink?” (John 4:9). But after Jesus speaks about being able to give her living  water, she sees him as one who will relieve her of the burdensome daily trip to  the well, or even of ever being thirsty again. 

Another shift comes after he tells her of her broken marriages. She recognizes  him as a prophet. There is yet one more step to take, and Jesus helps her by offering a vision of a future time when all will worship together, and then confessing to  her that he is the Messiah, the Christ. Through her witness, the village comes to  meet Jesus and then finally to recognize him as savior of the world. 

Lent invites us to journey with this woman and recognize Jesus in his fullness:  as one who thirsts for us, who also brings us the life-giving water of baptism, who  is a prophet speaking for God, who is the promised Messiah, and most especially,  who has come to save us. 

Consider/Discuss

  • What do you thirst for? 
  • How do you relate to Jesus? Do you recognize him as truly human, as  a prophet, as the promised Messiah, as the Savior and Son of God?  

Responding to the Word

We can pray that Jesus will bring us to see him as living water that can satisfy  us. We pray for all those preparing to be washed in the waters of baptism, that  they will recognize in Jesus the source of eternal life.

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