3rd Sunday of Lent: From Empty Jars to Living Water _An Encounter That Changes Everything

In the book Abide, Heather Khym writes:

“For many years, I was discovering a lot about God theologically, but also what it meant to be in relationship with Him. I was learning to see God in the daily moments of my life, but it wasn’t until I took a deeper look at the Scriptures, with the intention of discovering His personality, that I came to a deeper understanding of who Jesus really is.” (Abide, p.59)

This experience resembles the Samaritan woman's journey in today’s Gospel. A simple encounter at a well becomes a moment of discovery. She meets a stranger and leaves transformed. She arrives with a water jar but departs with something greater—the promise of living water.

This Gospel also resonates with the Scrutinies for the Elect in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), celebrated on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent. These rites are meant, as the Church says, “to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful, and to strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good” (RCIA, no. 141). That process is exactly what we see in the Samaritan woman. Her conversation with Jesus gradually leads her to a powerful realization. She runs back to her town and proclaims: “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?”

God is always searching for His children—even in complicated circumstances. The Gospel highlights striking contrasts: a male Jew speaks with a female Samaritan; a Jewish rabbi engages a stranger; the water of Jacob’s well meets the living water of Christ. Even the disciples are surprised by the radical openness of their master. Yet in this unexpected encounter, the Samaritan woman is invited into the full light of faith—the light destined “to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to Israel” (Lk 2:31–32).

During this encounter, Jesus gives the woman two instructions:

1.     “Give me a drink.”

2.     “Go and call your husband and come back.”

These commands carry deeper meaning. They initiate a new chapter in her life and redirect her spiritual path. God’s invitations are often clear, but they can also be challenging. Like the Israelites in the desert who complained to Moses, we may grumble when faced with God’s demands—or we can remain with the water that wells up to eternal life.

The Samaritan woman is aware of the obstacles before her: the long-standing hostility between Jews and Samaritans, the scandal of a Jewish man asking her for water, and the painful reality of her own moral past. Yet curiosity begins to overcome fear. She asks: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus then reveals something deeper. He knows her story—yet he does not reject her.

Instead, he invites her into truth and healing. In doing so, he also symbolically addresses Samaria’s fractured covenant history and offers a renewed relationship with God. Just as many biblical marriage encounters occur at wells, this moment becomes a covenant encounter. Jesus invites her—and her people—into a restored relationship with God. He explains that the Father seeks those who will worship in Spirit and in truth. For the Samaritan woman, this becomes the turning point of her life. She leaves her jar behind and runs to share the news with her community.

What does this mean for us?

First, God desires a personal relationship with us. He meets us where we are. He crosses boundaries for the sake of our souls and welcomes strangers back into His house.

Second, Jesus removes the obstacles that block our hearts. As Heather Khym notes, when we can identify the blocks in our spiritual lives, we are more able to work with God to remove them. Christ approaches us with patience and tenderness, revealing the depth of God’s mercy.

Third, every encounter with Christ brings conversion. Physical thirst gives way to living water. Grace begins to flow.

This Gospel is therefore a journey of faith—not only for those preparing to enter the Church through OCIA, but for all of us, especially those struggling in their faith. Lent invites us to meet Christ again. We are called to accompany our catechumens with patience and encouragement, just as Jesus accompanied the Samaritan woman. Our witness can help them discover the joy of faith.

And for all of us, this is the time to ask Jesus to fill us again with His living water through the sacraments. He encounters us in His Word. He encounters us in the Eucharist. If we open our hearts, we too will be able to say with conviction: “For we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Readings: Exodus 17:3–7; Romans 5:1–2, 5–8; John 4:5–42

Reflection Questions

1. What “water jars” am I still carrying—habits, fears, or wounds—that Jesus is inviting me to leave behind?

2. Where might God be asking me to face the truth about my life so that healing and conversion can begin?

3. How can I accompany someone else on their journey of faith, as Jesus accompanied the Samaritan woman?