Both Jesus and the Samaritan woman come to the well looking for water. They arrive thirsty for something essential to life. Without water, we cannot survive. Without it, nothing else is possible.
Water can also serve as a symbol for many of the things we need to live well. We need shelter, daily nourishment, and a clean and safe
environment. We also need friendship, loving relationships, and a spiritual life that opens space for us to know and serve the Lord.
This list is not complete. The things we long for to live happy and flourishing lives could stretch for miles. The wells we visit to satisfy these desires are many. Like the well in the Gospel, they are often deep. Do they ever fully satisfy us? More often, we return repeatedly to the same places, hoping
to be filled. Yet the more we draw from them, the more we seem to need.
Jesus offers the Samaritan woman something different. He offers her himself, with the promise of living water—a peace and contentment that endures.
Jesus offers us that same peace. We will always need the many good things that sustain our lives. Yet with Jesus, we can rest in a deeper peace that only he
can give.
Perhaps this Lent we might ask ourselves:
What are the wells I turn to for nourishment?
What do I most need from the Lord right now?
What word from the Lord of Peace do I most need to hear on this Lenten journey?
