The Woman At The Well

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst." Jn 4:12-13

Midtown, New York City.  It's Palm Sunday and Holy Week has begun!  Among us, we will be greeting thousands of lost souls in the city, and inviting them back to the Church to renew their spirit in  Jesus.  Most will reject our offer, but a few will come, and the trajectory of their lives will change forever.  Each of us is called to find "our soul", and bring that soul  home to the Lord.

This thirst for souls is both a privilege and an obligation of discipleship.  As we pray on this today, let's reflect on three key elements of Jesus' meeting at the well with the Samaritan woman.

1. Jesus sought her out.  Jesus arrived at Jacob's Well at mid day, having dismissed his Apostles first. He knew the Samaritan woman would be there, in the heat of the day, when the other women in town would not be. She was ashamed and was avoiding her peers.  So Jesus' meeting was not accidental; it was intentional; he was seeking out this particular person in need.  This week, we too must be intentional, going not where we want to go, or when we want to go, but rather where the souls we seek are at the time they are there.  The mission is not convenient. It's not comfortable. It's intentional.   

   
   

2. Jesus listened. As the scene at the well unfolds, what is remarkable is that for the first half of the conversation, Jesus is mostly asking questions and listening.  As he does so, the woman gradually reveals her sinful story.  On the streets this week, let's remember to listen more and talk less. Ask penetrating questions, and let our new friend do the talking.  Let's get to know them. Let's remember we are encountering them, not just handing out rosaries or service schedules.

   
   

3. Jesus offers the living water.  Most of the people we meet this week will be thirsty for something bigger, more transcendent than the fancy but banal meal they are heading to or the noisy club they are meeting their friends at.  We have what they want, even if they don't know it and even if we sometimes forget we have it. It's the "living water" of the sacraments, Reconciliation and Eucharist. Those are our secret weapons, that never fail. Be confident. Be unafraid. Ours' is the Living Water.

   
   

A missionary

March 29, 2026