Fr. Scott Haynes
The encounter of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-42) and the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Numbers 20:1, 3; 6-13) contain deep spiritual lessons for the soul thirsting for divine grace. These passages, read through the lens of the Church’s ancient wisdom, reveal the mystery of Christ as the true Living Water, the Rock of our salvation, and the fulfillment of all that was prefigured in the Old Testament.
The Thirst of the Soul
Our Lord arrives at Jacob’s well, weary from His journey, and encounters a Samaritan woman. He begins the dialogue with a simple request: “Give me to drink” (John 4:7). At first glance, it seems a mere human need, yet as St. Augustine observes, Christ’s thirst is not for water, but for the faith of the woman:
“He thirsts that she may drink.” (Tract. in Ioannem XV, 11).
This conversation mirrors the Israelites’ murmuring in the wilderness, where they lacked water and cried out against Moses:
“Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.” (Numbers 20:3).
The people’s physical thirst represents a deeper spiritual need—a longing for the life-giving presence of God. St. Paul, writing of this event, identifies the rock that provided water as a figure of Christ:
“And all drank the same spiritual drink; (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.)” (1 Corinthians 10:4).
The Well of Living Water
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman,
“If thou didst know the gift of God, and who he is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:10).
St. John Chrysostom comments:
“What He calls ‘water’ is the grace of the Spirit and everlasting life” (Homily 31 on John).
This grace is not stagnant but ever flowing, like the waters that issued from the rock in the desert.
Moses, by God’s command, struck the rock, and water gushed forth, satisfying the thirst of Israel (Numbers 20:11). Yet this event carried a deeper significance: the striking of the rock prefigured the piercing of Christ on the Cross, when blood and water flowed from His side (John 19:34). St. Jerome connects these passages beautifully:
“Just as water gushed forth from the smitten rock to quench the thirst of the people, so from Christ’s side flowed the fountains of the Sacraments.” (Epistle 69, 6).
Worship in Spirit and Truth
When the woman perceives that Jesus is a prophet, she asks about the true place of worship, whether on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem. Christ responds,
“The hour cometh, when you shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father… but the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23).
St. Cyril of Alexandria explains:
“He transfers worship from shadows to the truth itself, from figures to reality.” (Commentary on John, Bk. 2).
Moses, in the desert, had brought forth water from the rock under the old covenant, but the new covenant is not confined to earthly wells or mountains. It is fulfilled in the sacraments, where Christ Himself is the source of divine grace. The Holy Eucharist, in particular, is the true “fountain of water springing up into life everlasting” (John 4:14). St. Thomas Aquinas writes:
“The Eucharist is the true drink which quenches the soul’s thirst and satisfies the deepest longing of the heart.” (Summa Theologica, III, q. 74, a. 1).
The Harvest of Souls
When the disciples return, they are astonished that Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Yet He reveals to them the urgency of the mission:
“Lift up your eyes, and see the countries; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).
This statement echoes Moses’ role in leading the people to the Promised Land, yet Christ’s mission is far greater—He comes to gather all nations into the Kingdom.
St. Gregory the Great remarks:
“The fields are white for the harvest when holy preachers lift up their voices, and souls are led to Christ.” (Homilies on the Gospels, 17).
The Samaritan woman, having received Christ’s words, becomes the first evangelist, bringing her fellow Samaritans to believe in Him. This shows that the living water, once received, must be shared. The saints, having drunk deeply of Christ’s grace, poured it out in their preaching and martyrdom, just as Moses led Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
The Rock that Was Struck
Despite the greatness of Moses, he failed to enter the Promised Land because he struck the rock twice in anger (Numbers 20:11-12). The Church Fathers interpret this as a mystery: Moses represents the Law, which alone cannot bring salvation, whereas Christ, the true Rock, is struck once—on the Cross—to bring forth eternal life. St. Ambrose writes:
“Moses, as a servant, strikes the rock and gives temporal water; Christ, as the Son, is struck once and gives the water of eternal life.” (Exposition on the Psalms, 1, 33).
The lesson here is profound: we must approach Christ not with doubt or presumption, but with faith. The Samaritan woman believed and was transformed; the murmuring Israelites doubted and suffered loss. We are called to imitate the faith of the woman, who abandoned her water jar—the symbol of her earthly cares—and ran to proclaim Christ.
Conclusion: Drink Deeply of Christ
As traditional Catholics, we are invited to drink deeply from the well of sacred Tradition, nourished by the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church Fathers. Christ, the Rock, continues to give us living water through His sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist. St. Ephrem the Syrian beautifully describes this mystery:
“From the side of Christ flows the living water; he who drinks of it shall never thirst. The Rock was struck, and from it gushed forth streams of grace.” (Hymns on Paradise, 6:8).
May we, like the Samaritan woman, leave behind the empty vessels of worldly concerns and thirst only for Christ. May we recognize Him as the true source of all grace and share the living water with a world parched by sin. As the Psalmist sings:
“My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?” (Psalm 41:3).
Through the intercession of Our Lady, the fountain of grace, may we never cease to drink from the well of Christ’s mercy. Amen.
The Living Water: Christ and the Rock in the Wilderness
The encounter of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-42) and the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Numbers 20:1, 3; 6-13) contain deep spiritual lessons for the soul thirsting for divine grace. These passages, read through the lens of the Church’s ancient wisdom, reveal the mystery of Christ as the true Living Water, the Rock of our salvation, and the fulfillment of all that was prefigured in the Old Testament.
The Thirst of the Soul
Our Lord arrives at Jacob’s well, weary from His journey, and encounters a Samaritan woman. He begins the dialogue with a simple request:
“Give me to drink” (John 4:7).
At first glance, it seems a mere human need, yet as St. Augustine observes, Christ’s thirst is not for water, but for the faith of the woman:
“He thirsts that she may drink.” (Tract. in Ioannem XV, 11).
This conversation mirrors the Israelites’ murmuring in the wilderness, where they lacked water and cried out against Moses:
“Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.” (Numbers 20:3).
The people’s physical thirst represents a deeper spiritual need—a longing for the life-giving presence of God. St. Paul, writing of this event, identifies the rock that provided water as a figure of Christ:
“And all drank the same spiritual drink; (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.)” (1 Corinthians 10:4).
The Well of Living Water
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman,
“If thou didst know the gift of God, and who he is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:10).
St. John Chrysostom comments:
“What He calls ‘water’ is the grace of the Spirit and everlasting life” (Homily 31 on John).
This grace is not stagnant but ever flowing, like the waters that issued from the rock in the desert.
Moses, by God’s command, struck the rock, and water gushed forth, satisfying the thirst of Israel (Numbers 20:11). Yet this event carried a deeper significance: the striking of the rock prefigured the piercing of Christ on the Cross, when blood and water flowed from His side (John 19:34). St. Jerome connects these passages beautifully:
“Just as water gushed forth from the smitten rock to quench the thirst of the people, so from Christ’s side flowed the fountains of the Sacraments.” (Epistle 69, 6).
Worship in Spirit and Truth
When the woman perceives that Jesus is a prophet, she asks about the true place of worship, whether on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem. Christ responds,
“The hour cometh, when you shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father… but the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23).
St. Cyril of Alexandria explains:
“He transfers worship from shadows to the truth itself, from figures to reality.” (Commentary on John, Bk. 2).
Moses, in the desert, had brought forth water from the rock under the old covenant, but the new covenant is not confined to earthly wells or mountains. It is fulfilled in the sacraments, where Christ Himself is the source of divine grace. The Holy Eucharist, in particular, is the true “fountain of water springing up into life everlasting” (John 4:14). St. Thomas Aquinas writes:
“The Eucharist is the true drink which quenches the soul’s thirst and satisfies the deepest longing of the heart.” (Summa Theologica, III, q. 74, a. 1).
The Harvest of Souls
When the disciples return, they are astonished that Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Yet He reveals to them the urgency of the mission:
“Lift up your eyes, and see the countries; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).
This statement echoes Moses’ role in leading the people to the Promised Land, yet Christ’s mission is far greater—He comes to gather all nations into the Kingdom.
St. Gregory the Great remarks:
“The fields are white for the harvest when holy preachers lift up their voices, and souls are led to Christ.” (Homilies on the Gospels, 17).
The Samaritan woman, having received Christ’s words, becomes the first evangelist, bringing her fellow Samaritans to believe in Him. This shows that the living water, once received, must be shared. The saints, having drunk deeply of Christ’s grace, poured it out in their preaching and martyrdom, just as Moses led Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
The Rock that Was Struck
Despite the greatness of Moses, he failed to enter the Promised Land because he struck the rock twice in anger (Numbers 20:11-12). The Church Fathers interpret this as a mystery: Moses represents the Law, which alone cannot bring salvation, whereas Christ, the true Rock, is struck once—on the Cross—to bring forth eternal life. St. Ambrose writes:
“Moses, as a servant, strikes the rock and gives temporal water; Christ, as the Son, is struck once and gives the water of eternal life.” (Exposition on the Psalms, 1, 33).
The lesson here is profound: we must approach Christ not with doubt or presumption, but with faith. The Samaritan woman believed and was transformed; the murmuring Israelites doubted and suffered loss. We are called to imitate the faith of the woman, who abandoned her water jar—the symbol of her earthly cares—and ran to proclaim Christ.
Conclusion: Drink Deeply of Christ
As traditional Catholics, we are invited to drink deeply from the well of sacred Tradition, nourished by the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church Fathers. Christ, the Rock, continues to give us living water through His sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist. St. Ephrem the Syrian beautifully describes this mystery:
“From the side of Christ flows the living water; he who drinks of it shall never thirst. The Rock was struck, and from it gushed forth streams of grace.” (Hymns on Paradise, 6:8).
May we, like the Samaritan woman, leave behind the empty vessels of worldly concerns and thirst only for Christ. May we recognize Him as the true source of all grace and share the living water with a world parched by sin. As the Psalmist sings:
“My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?” (Psalm 41:3).
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