“Give me some of that water, so that I may never get thirsty.” (Jn.4:15). Today’s word of God calls us to reflect on the spiritual meaning of our thirst and desire and how to satisfy that desire.
In the first reading, the people of Israel were thirsty in the desert. They were confronted by the fear of dying of thirst in that desert. They complained, and the Lord guided them through Moses and provided them with water from a rock.
The second reading tells us that through Jesus, we have the faith that justifies us and hope that cannot mislead us. He died for us when we were still sinners (i.e., people lacking grace). In the gospel reading, we heard another uplifting story of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. Jesus had asked her to give him water to drink but used the occasion (as he often does) to teach the woman, and indeed all of us, about the thirst that goes beyond the physical – our spiritual thirst and lack, which God alone can satisfy. It is the thirst of our souls.
We read in the scriptures: “As the deer yearns for running streams, so I yearn for you, My God” (Psalm 42:1). “Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty, … pay attention, come to me; listen and you will live.” (Is.55:1,3). Also, Jeremiah referred to God as “the fountain of living water.” (Jer.17:13). That is Jesus’ message to the Samaritan woman, who had all the natural water she could get but was thirsty in her soul.
As we journey through life, there will be moments when we feel empty or like something is missing in the depth of our being. To quench such a thirst, we need to seek God our Father in Spirit and in truth (Jn.14:6). It is God alone who can fully satisfy all our thirsts. If you would listen to his voice today, do not harden your hearts.