“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.” (Jn. 4: 13-15)
It is then the mercies of the Lord I must proclaim… for he has quite exhausted the treasures of his grace for my sake…
Beginning with the happy moment when, regenerated in the saving waters of baptism, I was raised to the awesome dignity of child of God, filled with the gifts of my Saviour, I could more easily count the successive and rapid movements of my breathing than the number of the inestimable benefits that this adorable Master has poured out on me in generous measure.
Spiritual conference given by Eugene de Mazenod, 19 March 1809, EO XIV n 48
REFLECTION
We thank you and praise you, O God,
that however we may thirst,
whatever we may need to satisfy our souls,
you offer it freely and abundantly in Christ;
So we drink deep of the living water
and, as we draw from your wells,
we seek to pass the cup to others
who, like us, are thirsty for your grace.
Amen
Cf John van de Laar (https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/09/prayer-living-water)
How do we get some of Jesus’ messages so wrong?
I have come to realise that Jesus didn’t come to the well to get water but to give it; to meet the woman and to give her “living” water. How did I get that story so wrong? Perhaps in how it was presented to me…, but I refuse to go any further down that path for it is nothing but an empty distraction…
Eugene always reminds me to celebrate and give thanks for my Baptism. It does not always come naturally and I cannot boast of any great fidelity to gratitude for having been baptized.
Today we hear that the human Samaritan woman as being one of the first missionaries – for she went to the people in her town, sharing with them what Jesus had said to her and daring to wonder if he could be the Messiah. She took her friends back to meet Jesus so that they could meet with the Truth and hear the Word.
The woman at the well did not ask for special grace to share the Good News, she received it, allowed it to transform fill her and then shared it. And she returned, wanting more…
Give me the grace Lord to be like the apostles and disciples, like the Samaritan woman and to share all that you give me with all who I meet at the well of life.