Living Water at the Well — Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen. May the blessing of the Father who calls us and His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ who saves us, and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all, that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.

On this blessed fourth Sunday of the Holy Fast, the Church opens before us the well of Jacob—not merely a well of water, but a well of truth, mystery, and salvation. At high noon, under the burning sun, the Bridegroom meets His thirsting bride—the soul weary of sin and longing for redemption.

The Gospel today from Saint John chapter 4 is not merely a conversation narrative. It is a divine liturgy in the open air, a Eucharist in dialogue, and a resurrection at a well. In her wisdom, the Church sums up this Sunday in three divine words: Death, Resurrection, and Power.

Death: The Soul Dead in Sin

The Samaritan woman was alive in the flesh, but dead in spirit. She came to draw water at the sixth hour—about noon—when no one else would be there. Not only because of the sun’s heat but because of the heat of shame. She had five husbands, and the one she lived with was not her husband. She was weary of being seen, weary of being judged. But the One who sees all was waiting for her.
How many of us, beloved, walk with smiles on our faces, yet carry tombs in our hearts? Like the woman, we carry wounds that no one sees. She represents not just a sinner but every soul enslaved to a cycle it cannot break—whether lust, bitterness, addiction, or pride. The Samaritan’s heart was dry, cracked like the desert, and her sin was her daily burden.
John Chrysostom said: “Sin when repeated becomes a habit; habit when unrepented becomes a chain; and the soul, once bound, begins to love her chains.” Yet Christ, the Chain-Breaker, was already on His way to set her free.

Resurrection: The Living Water of Grace

When the Lord said, “Give Me a drink,” it was not because He thirsted for water, but because He thirsted for her soul. He who hung the sun in the sky and carved the rivers into the earth now asks for water from a sinful woman. O the humility of our God!
But soon, He offers her living water—“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.” (John 4:13-14)
This is not metaphor alone. This water is the grace of the Holy Spirit, flowing from the side of Christ, as from the rock in the wilderness. It is the sacramental life of the Church: the baptismal font that raises the dead, the chalice that satisfies every longing, the confession that cleanses more than any spring.
The woman came with a jar, but she left the jar behind. Why? Because she found what she didn’t know she was searching for. She came empty and left filled. This is resurrection. This is the new birth Christ spoke of to Nicodemus last Sunday.
Beloved, are you still drawing from the old wells? The wells of ego, of pleasure, of self-righteousness? If so, you will thirst again. Only Christ’s water quenches forever.

Power: The Transformed Witness

This same woman, who was once ashamed to be seen, becomes the first evangelist in Samaria. She runs into the city—yes, the same city that judged her!—and cries out, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29)
What courage! What transformation! She who hid from men now speaks before them boldly. The grace of Christ not only cleanses, it empowers. She who was a fallen vessel becomes a vessel of honor. She becomes St. Photini, the enlightened one. Her name lives in the Church, her testimony is etched in iconography, and her witness baptizes cities.
This is what grace does, beloved. It turns cowards into martyrs, sinners into saints, prostitutes into preachers. She did not go to a school of theology, nor attend a spiritual retreat—she simply met Christ, and He changed her.
So do not say, “I am too far gone.” Do not say, “My past disqualifies me.” There is no sin deeper than the Cross. No shame heavier than the Resurrection. When grace enters a soul, it transforms it from dust to gold.

Conclusion: A Lenten Encounter

Today, the Samaritan woman becomes for us more than a figure in Scripture. She becomes a mirror, a message, and a missionary. Her encounter with the Lord Jesus transforms her from a catastrophe into a courageous preacher.

Let us pause with her in five sacred moments:

An Acceptable Hour – The sixth hour is not random. It is the same hour of the Cross. Christ said, “I thirst,” not for water, but for every soul far from Him. This is the hour of grace before midnight comes—the hour of judgment. Let us not waste it.
An Ancient Enmity – Christ, who came to reconcile Jews with Samaritans, also came to reconcile heaven with earth. He calls us today to be reconciled with God and with all those we hold grudges against or misunderstand. “Be reconciled to God!” (2 Cor. 5:20)
A Deep Well – The well is your soul. Within it are secrets, scars, and depths you may not have faced. Sit with yourself. Pray to your God. Confess to your father of confession. You may have no bucket—but Christ is able to draw you out, heal you, and raise you.
Living Water – The salty waters of this world will only leave you thirstier. Come to the One who gives living water and restores the soul. “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst.” (John 4:13–14)
A Jar Left Behind – The Samaritan woman asked, believed, and preached. She came hiding; she returned proclaiming. Leave your jar—whatever it is that distracts you from encountering Christ. Leave the sin, the hatred, the attachment to the world. You know what it is that weighs you down. Christ is ready to forgive and receive your fast, your prayer, and your repentance.

Let us follow her steps:

She asked about faith — and she received peace.
She left behind her jar, her past, her pain.
She preached quickly, boldly, and with trust, bringing her whole city to the Messiah.

Today, we must become a preacher—to ourselves first, calling our souls to repentance. Then, to our homes, our families, our children, so that they may taste and see that the Lord is good.

Let us preach Christ not just in words but by our transformation.

May the Lord accept our repentance and fasting. May He turn our jars of worldly water into streams of living grace. May He turn our hidden shame into sacred witness.

May He soon lift this trial from our world so that we may return to His temple and behold His holy Church with joy and thanksgiving.

May the Lord bless us, transform our hearts and minds, that our homes may stand on the Rock, our hands serve in the harvest, and our hearts long for Heaven. Amen.