Jesus was tired and thirsty, something most of us have experienced, not good to say the least, “nothing like a drink and a good lie down.” It was a very hot day, his disciples had gone off to buy food, so Jesus was alone sitting by the well. Then comes along a woman, a Samaritan, and he asks her for a drink to which she reacts poorly as Samaritans are hostile to the Jews because they are considered to have mixed blood and with a heretical form of Judaism and she was a “loose” woman.

But remember Jesus starts the conversation asking for a drink and in doing so crosses a boundary in initiating the dialogue with a Samaritan and talking with a woman alone at which the disciples will be particularly concerned, better astonished; what is going on, is she flirting with him? An unwritten “Code of Conduct” ignored. Yet they say nothing, maybe they do not know what to say or they do not want to upset their friend.

In the conversation which follows Jesus reveals something about who he is and the dialogue moves towards living water and as soon as this happens, she asks for this living water and then the conversation moves to her life, and Jesus will now tell her everything she has ever done. Then having been seen by Jesus, she sees him differently and immediately understands him to be a prophet and asks him the serious question about worship to which he gives a solemn answer.

The Scriptures have one basic theme, that of conversation, of questioning both by God and by people. The first conversation is with Adam and Eve “Where are you?’  Question and answer commence the revelation of God and this ongoing process which comes to its fulfillment in the Death and Resurrection of Christ and the ongoing mission of the Church. How else was God going to reveal himself and communicate his love and mercy but by his speaking in many ways and through many people and finally through his Son the Word made flesh. There is always the emphasis that we must listen not just hear the Lord speaking to us through prayer, one another, the community of faith, the Church.

Through her conversation with Jesus the woman is transformed and runs off to tell the villagers of her experience with Jesus, and many came to believe because of what she said and then they run off to meet him and invite him to stay with them and “many more began to believe in him because of his word…..(and to the woman) we no longer believe because of your word, for we have heard for ourselves etc….”NAB

The church calls us during this time of Lent as we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection to a deeper and more intense sense of what it means to share friendship with Jesus. Like the woman in our Gospel the Lord is calling each of us to that conversation which we call prayer, to fast from those desires and attitudes which are harmful not only to our life of faith but our humanity and in almsgiving in which we are more generous with our time and energy towards one another, especially all those in dire straits through sickness, old age, poverty, homelessness and the like. We are called to generosity.

We must remember that these are Christ among us. Let us be Christ to each other.

As the woman at the well was transformed by being with and conversing with Jesus, may we like her be transformed during this holy time and as her experience led her to proclaim and lead many to belief may our lives radiate a life of living faith leading people into the presence and life of God.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Ps 94