“If you knew the gift of God…”
Listening to the Spirit
Lord, thank you for the gift of Your Word
so that all your people may know and love You more
and understand You better.
As I go about my day may I not forget
the scriptures you have opened up for me.
Help me to recognize how You want for me
to apply Your Word to my daily life.
Holy Spirit, guided by Your Word,
may You enlighten my mind
and enkindle in my heart
a greater love for You and for others
in my family and in the world.
Amen.
Listening to the Word
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.”
Reflection
It may seem an ordinary day for the samaritan woman doing her chores and daily activities. But there is something strange in the story; it is noon, the worst time to get water from the well because of the heat, and she is alone. Some biblical scholars interpret these details by relating them to the woman as a public sinner.
Everything changes with the encounter with Jesus. Through questions and answers, the Samaritan woman was faced by Jesus. She tried to flee from Christ's questions by changing the subject and hiding her real problem, which finally came to light when Jesus told her about her husband.
One of the tragedies of sin is that it blinds us because it forces us to look at it by focusing our attention on it, and repeating always the same mistakes. But the real tragedy is that we forget about God's mercy. We should listen to what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, who carried her heavy load of affective and existential emptiness: "if you knew the gift of God..." Leading her to her truth, the Lord led her to discover her condition of sin and her thirst for true love, but most of all, God’s gift of mercy and love.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are also invited to meet Jesus at the well and receive the living water. May the Lord help us to find the truth of our condition of sin, but most of all, may He help us to discover God's mercy in our lives.
Reflection Questions
Liturgical time
Writers
Fr. Matteo Rebecchi, SX
Fr. Yustinus Hibur, SX
Fr. Cesar da Silva, SX
Fr. Fabien Kalehezo, SX
Fr. Petrus Hardiyanto, SX
Fr. Pasteur Mugisho Bisimwa, SX
Fr. Luigino Marchioron, SX
Bro. Michael Thimoty, SX
Fr. Patrick Santiañez, SX
Fr. Elvis Ndihokubwayo, SX
Gospel Reflections

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