Florida Council of Catholic Women/Province of Miami at P. O. Box 1811, Labelle, FL 33975 US - THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

As Jesus was resting at Jacob's well a Samaritan woman came to draw water. As she approached, Jesus said to her, Give me a drink." She was startled, looked at him and said, "You are a Jew. How can you ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink ?" The woman did not speak with anger but with surprise because the Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. Jesus replied, "If you only recognized God's gift and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him instead, and he would have given you the living water.” While much of the reading has a great deal to say about water it is important to realize that the discussion in this reading has a much deeper meaning. In reading the passage we can see how the woman is coming to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus tells her, "Go call your husband and then come back.” She replied, "I have no husband." Do you sense the humor Jesus displays when he answers her, "You are right in saying you have no husband. 7he fact is you've had five and the man you're living with is not your husband." The woman ran off astonished and cried, "Come and see someone who told me everything I ever did. Could this not be the Messiah?" Because of their encounter many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus and begged him to stay. Reflections: Why did Jesus choose a Samaritan to receive the gift of Faith? Can we see that Jesus had a way of choosing unlikely messengers? Can he be asking one of us? Are we listening or are we saying, "I'm not ready yet?" Do we say, "Yes, God, but not now?" Remember God doesn't choose the perfect…He perfects the chosen. Prayer: God help me to see myself as you see me. 'Let me recognize the times I've said thy will be done and then gave you what I wanted not what you wanted. Help me to follow you all the way not just as far as I want to go.

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