Pope at Angelus: The Lord promises us the living water of eternal life

By Thaddeus Jones

Speaking to pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading, which recounts what he described as "one of the most beautiful and fascinating encounters" of Jesus when He meets the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus asks her to give Him a drink, as He is thirsty and tired, with the hot, midday sun beating down.

Thirsty like us

The Pope observed that Jesus' asking for a drink shows how in Him "God made Himself one of us, thirsty like us," sharing our human condition, needs, and suffering. 

Love quenches thirst

The Lord, who asks for a drink, also tells the Samaritan woman about the drink He can offer, the Holy Spirit’s living water "that makes eternal life overflow within us." The Pope explained how, "thirsty for love, Jesus quenches our thirst with love," by meeting us in our daily life, sharing our own thirst, and promising us this living water of eternal life.

Giving others a drink

The Pope said we must follow the example of Jesus, who cries out to us, sometimes in silence, to quench the thirst of a brother or sister in need. Our family members, friends, or coworkers may often ask us for a "drink", but they are thirsting for closeness, attention, or a listening ear, the Pope explained.

They may also thirst for the Word of God and need to find "an oasis in the Church where they can drink." This thirst is increased by the deserts of our frenetic societies, often marked by indifference and interior emptiness, the Pope observed.

And this thirst can also literally be one for water, essential for our survival and that so many people around the world lack due to drought or contamination. Even our "common home," the environment, suffers from thirst caused by water scarcity or pollution.

Living water

The Gospel today offers us the promise of "living water" and calls each one of us to become a "refreshing spring" for our brothers and sisters, the Pope concluded.