The Fourth Sunday of Lent

The waters of the world, God’s gift and supreme calling. The blessings of initiating repentance, and hastening to return to Christ, as observed through the Samaritan woman. The initial water is the worldly water.

The Father’s gift: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Monday’s readings - Romans 8:15) and “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also ^[a]first descended into the lower parts of the earth?” (Tuesday’s readings - Ephesians 4:7-9)

A call to repentance: “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…” (Wednesday’s readings - Ephesians 4:21-23)

The Samaritan Woman: The Samaritan woman’s gospel is presented in the readings of the orthodox and catholic churches, along with some of the protestant churches during the holy fifties. It is the gospel of the joyful news of salvation, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” (John 4:29-30) It is also a gospel of God’s gift, the living water which symbolises the gift of the Holy Spirit. As for the Coptic Church, it sees in it that it is a gospel of Christ’s outreach for the sinful humanity, with the swift response to the call of salvation. Therefore, the church presents this gospel following the Sunday of the prodigal son with accompanying readings that are presented during the fourth week of Lent to clarify the intended spiritual meanings for that period. The gospel is then presented again in the holy fifties like the rest of the churches with other accompanying readings from the Holy Bible, in order to explain the spiritual meanings, which are appropriate to period of the holy fifties and to prepare for the ascension of the Holy Spirit. In the presentation of these readings, we observe the church’s spiritual wealth.

The Readings of the Fourth Week of Lent

Christ comes in order to meet with the Samaritan woman in her weakness. She talks about Jacob’s generous gift to his son Joseph, and its symbol is the well (the worldly waters). The Lord Jesus Christ then transfers her to the gift of the Heavenly Father and the living water. The gifts of the earthly father, Jacob, are earthly and fleeting, and the Heavenly Father’s gifts are eternal, “Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water…“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,butwhoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give himwill become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”” (Matthew 4:10-13)

“For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” (John 4:18) Humanity fell under the five lusts of the soul: the lust for food, sexual lust, the lust for coveting and wealth, the love of money and prestige, the lust for knowledge, and then the lust for power and fame, which is the mother of all evils of the world. Humanity has experienced each of the five lusts, and is never satisfied: for everyone who drinks of this water shall also thirst. Furthermore, the soul was subjected to coercion and powerlessness under Satan. However, Christ came and forgave the Samaritan woman all her many initial evils, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)

As for our Lord Jesus, He rose early and walked until he was hungry – the heat of the afternoon sun of the sixth hour, the hour of the cross turned upon Him. All this so that He would meet with us at the well, we the sinners. Out of the joy of meeting the Messiah, the Samaritan woman left her pitcher and called the people of the village. She forgot her shame and her sin. She used to go to the well at noon time so that no one would see her and hurt her dignity with looks of contempt. From where did she have all this courage, not only to confront people, but also to preach the Messiah to them?

“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) " Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29)

With what did the Samaritan woman preach? She proclaimed what she did, her sin, and she did this openly, and was not ashamed. She was also successful when she left her pitcher under Christ’s feet, along with her heart, so that He would fill them for her with living water. “Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)