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“The Samaritan Woman at the Well”
by Agostino Carracci, 1595 |
Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading I: Exodus 17:3-7
In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the Lord,
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The Lord answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the Lord, saying,
“Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
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Commentary on Ex 17:3-7
This passage continues the journey of the Hebrews in the desert following their departure from Egypt. They have already been fed by manna in the wilderness; here they complain bitterly against Moses for having taken them to a land with no water, and the hardship causes them to doubt that God is with them. In response to this challenge, God provides yet another miracle as he commands Moses to take his staff and strike the rock at Horeb, revealing a spring of water. The place was later named Massah and Meribah: Hebrew words meaning respectively: "the (place of the) test" and "the (place of the) quarreling."
CCC: Ex 17:1-6 694; Ex 17:2-7 2119
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
This part of Psalm 95, commonly used as the invitatory psalm for the Liturgy of the Hours, is a song of thanksgiving. In these strophes the incident at Meribah is remembered (Exodus 17:3-7), and God’s undeserved mercy proclaimed. The community is rejoicing that the Lord is God and that he has brought us salvation in spite of our forebears' obstinacy. We are encouraged to listen to the Lord, even if what we are asked to do is difficult.
CCC: Ps 95:1-6 2628; Ps 95:7-8 2659; Ps 95:7 1165; Ps 95:9 2119
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Reading II: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
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Commentary on Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
In the previous chapter, St. Paul has established that through faith in Jesus Christ, the Christian is justified (recreated just as if they had not sinned). The apostle now begins a discussion of how this justification is experienced. The reconciled Christian will be saved, sharing with hope in the risen Christ.
"The justified are endowed with theological virtues. By faith, they live in peace with God and have access to his grace; in hope, they long for the glory of God that awaits them; and in love, they show that the charity of the Spirit dwells in their hearts (CCC 1813). Equipped in this way, believers can become more like Christ through endurance and suffering (CCC 618)."[5]
“Popular piety frequently construed reverses and troubles as punishment for sin; cf John 9:2. Paul therefore assures believers that God's justifying action in Jesus Christ is a declaration of peace. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ displays God's initiative in certifying humanity for unimpeded access into the divine presence. Reconciliation is God's gift of pardon to the entire human race.”[6]
CCC: Rom 5:3-5 2734, 2847; Rom 5:5 368, 733, 1820, 1964, 2658; Rom 5:8 604
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Gospel: John 4:5-42
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.
A woman of Samaria 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,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one speaking with you.”
At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, “What are you looking for?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
“Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
So the disciples said to one another,
“Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said 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.”
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Commentary on Jn 4:5-42
The story of the Samaritan woman, told in its entirety, provides several theological points. First, the fact that Jesus came this way implies his broader mission, not just to the Jews but to the whole world. The fact that upon meeting the Samaritan woman he asked for a drink is significant, in that Jews would never have considered drinking from the same vessel as a Samaritan woman who would have been considered ritually unclean.
Often what we hear in Sacred Scripture seems to have only one purpose when in fact there is more. We note that the location of this event is set at “Jacob’s Well.” It is a clear reference to Genesis 33:19-20, a place where Jacob “set up an altar there and invoked “El, the God of Israel.”
The discourse with the woman is instructive, providing rich imagery of water and spirit recalling the gifts given in baptism. At the same time we see the recognition that Jesus is the Messiah (although the Samaritans would have had a different expectation of the Messiah, thinking more in the lines of a prophet like Moses [Deuteronomy 18:15]).
There is further symbolism, culturally focused, in Jesus' revelation to the woman. When he tells her she has been married five times it is a likely reference to the five images of Baal worshiped by the Samaritans. Women who practiced that religion were ritually married to the five idols.
The conclusion of the story demonstrates the clear perception by those who encounter Christ that he is the Messiah. This revelatory presence is noted in the concluding verses of the story as the Samaritans exclaim “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."
CCC: Jn 4:6-7 544; Jn 4:10-14 694, 1137; Jn 4:10 728, 2560, 2561; Jn 4:14 728, 1999, 2557, 2652; Jn 4:21 586; Jn 4:22 528, 586; Jn 4:23-24 586, 728; Jn 4:24 1179; Jn 4:25-26 439; Jn 4:34 606, 2611, 2824
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Or
Shorter Form: John: 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.
A woman of Samaria 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,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.
“I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said 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.”
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Commentary on Jn: 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
In this shorter version of the story of the Samaritan woman, part of the dialogue is omitted that revolves around the primacy of the Jews in receiving God’s word. Also omitted is the Lord’s description of the woman’s past life, the encounter with the Lord’s disciples and his decision to stay. Presented in this form the story focuses more on the identity of Christ and less on his universal mission.
CCC: Jn 4:6-7 544; Jn 4:10-14 694, 1137; Jn 4:21 586; Jn 4:22 528, 586; Jn 4:23-24 586, 728; Jn 4:24 1179; Jn 4:25-26 439
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Reflection:
“Today, let us sing for joy to the rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord.” This is the opening verse from Psalm 95 which we used today (although in a different translation). It is the psalm that those who do the liturgy of the hours use as an invitation to prayer each day. It is a reminder that we who are his children, adopted in baptism, have been given God’s grace and bounty despite our testing and quarreling with the Lord.
Yes, it is Lent, and yes, we tend to have much more subdued liturgy during this season of penance. But, we have reason for joy, we have reason to sing.
Because we heard it last, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well can overpower the other Sacred Scripture given today. The theme that seems to run through the Old Testament reading about the rock at Horeb, and the Gospel is the water theme. In both cases, God gave living water to those who challenged him.
We note that the water given to the “stiff-necked” Hebrews at Horeb was a sign that God was with them. We see in the story of the Samaritan woman that the water offered to her was symbolic of faith that once given, would give everlasting life (St. Paul’s letter to the Romans would say she was “justified”). We can feel the similarities and the differences if we place these two encounters with God side by side.
Perhaps the most significant similarity is that, in both cases, God’s presence was needed either for life in the literal sense or life in the spiritual sense. In both cases, God was asked for water. And in both cases, though the request was not merited, God responded.
As always, we see the Word of God as both an invitation and a promise. The promise in this case is that, if we need God’s indwelling strength, all we need to do is ask. We do not need to presume we have done anything to merit God’s saving help. Rather we know that we are undeserving yet still hope in God.
The Exodus story gives us a clear picture. The Jews of the story had already seen God’s mighty hand part the Red Sea for them so they might leave bondage in Egypt. They had marveled at the pillar of fire sent by God to them, keeping them safe from pharaoh’s chariots. They had been fed by manna when they were hungry. Yet, finding themselves thirsty in the desert, they perceive that God had left them. What had they done to deserve God’s help? Yet even this stiff-necked people received God’s saving grace through the water of life, flowing from the rock.
If God showed this unbelieving people such love and mercy, how much more can we, who work hard to remain faithful, expect? If Jesus offered the Samaritan woman, married five times and living with still another man, the faith and salvation of God, how much more can we who try to live by his statutes expect?
That is the promise. What then is the invitation? The invitation is to be like Christ in our love and generosity to others, even others who do not share or appreciate our values. Each day we are given the opportunity to demonstrate our faith. We are asked for help by those whom society might call “undeserving,” and we are challenged by those who see our faith and beliefs as superstitious nonsense. Each day we are invited to respond to these challenges with faith and compassion. Each day we can choose to offer living water to those who are in need. This is our invitation to the New Evangelization.
As we reflect today about the gifts of water and spirit, let us pray that what flows in us may become a fountain, giving God’s gift to those who are in need.
Pax
In other years on March 8th, Optional Memorial for Saint John of God, Religious
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture today is “The Samaritan Woman at the Well” by Agostino Carracci, 1595.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 263.
[6] NAB Footnote on Romans 5:1-11.
