Refresh my Soul

Over the next three Sundays we have the three great Lenten readings of the
Woman at the Well, the Man born Blind and the Raising of Lazarus. Their themes of water, light and resurrection are intimately linked to the sacrament of Baptism, which our catechumens are preparing for at Easter. With the baptism liturgy as our guide, we will explore each theme over the three weeks beginning to day with water.

The sign and symbol of water is paramount to baptism and so as Jesus encounters the woman at the well it is the image of him bringing her to faith that provides the backdrop for our thoughts. Baptism is the gateway into faith and the road on which we travel. As the woman is drawn to the well, we can all understand the symbolism at work. The well becomes the baptismal font from which she will receive the water of new life. This water, blessed by the presence of Jesus, reminds us of the waters at the beginning of creation and over which the spirit of God hovered at the beginning. From this beginning all things come into being, created by God and given life.

It was at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan that the moment of revelation took place. At this moment the voice of the Father was heard: “This is my son, my favour rests on him”. In a similar and symbolic way the voice of the Father is spoken to the newly baptised as the emerge from their moment of revelation. The woman at the well responds to the words of Jesus and we are also called to respond in a similar way.

Through baptism we encounter the risen Christ in the sacramental life we have been born into. The water and blood which flows from the side of Christ, pierced by the lance when he was on the cross, is the symbol of this sacrament. Just as Eve was moulded from Adam’s side, so then the Church, the bride of Christ, is born from the blood and water which flows from the side of Jesus, the new Adam.

In the gospel of today, this symbolism is played out in all fulness. The woman comes to the well, to the font of life and is refreshed, so that now she will never thirst again. All that was her life before this moment is now put behind her, cleaned by the water of life. Her place within the community is no longer one which is exclusive but is now inclusive. What she has received, she now openly gives to others, to bring them to this moment too. She is an evangelist.

We pray for our catechumens as they prepare for their encounter with the Lord.