To the Ends of the Earth: Witness – Catholic Men's Devotionals, Week 7 – Living Water

There came a woman of Samar’ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar’ia?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:7–14

On the Appalachian Trail, experienced hikers bring along guidebooks and maps that show them where to find good sources of drinking water. Of course, the water must be filtered or treated in order to make it potable. Without water, hikers become weak and disoriented and cannot finish the journey. Water is life!

For people living at the time of Jesus, water was crucial for survival. Thus throughout Scripture, we see that thirst is a symbol of our need for God. Like a spring flowing in the desert, God’s love overflows into the lives of his people. Our calling as Catholic men is to offer this same living water to souls thirsty for satisfaction. Like the woman at the well who sought out others to share the water she had drawn from the wellspring of Christ, we must seek out the lost and pour out the overflowing love of Christ into their lives.

The living water of Jesus flows from his sacred heart into our thirsty souls, satisfying our longing for salvation and filling us so that we will never thirst again. It is important to understand our connection to others in the living water we share in Christ. This week, we will focus on just what it means to receive and share the living water of Christ with a weary soul.

1.         Living water is flowing and fresh.

The woman at the well was trying to draw life from water that was standing and stagnant. Jesus offered her the overflowing and refreshing water of his very life. He offers the same thing to us. As we share this truth with others we tap into the inner emptiness of their souls and begin to draw them to the well of Christ, the only place where refreshment and renewal is possible.

2.         Living water is eternal.

Jesus told the woman that whoever drinks the water he offers will never thirst again (Jn 4:14). His satisfaction is everlasting. We need to convey this reality to others to break the endless cycle of seeking our satisfaction in things that are temporary and lifeless. Only in Christ does the searching heart find what it truly needs.

3.         Living water is for all who thirst and ask.

Like the woman at the well, Jesus offers all who are thirsty to come drink from the overflowing stream of his love. He pours himself into our hearts when we come seeking. So many have become content to dip their bucket into the stagnant well of worldly living, rather than to come to the One who can satisfy their deepest need. We must point the way to Christ, who invites the thirsty to come and drink.

4.         Living Water is free, abundant, and satisfying.

In Isaiah 55 we are invited to bring our thirsty selves to the overflowing water and receive generously from God’s hand. His living water rains down upon us and yields a harvest of growth for all who receive. We cannot be content to allow the lost to remain in the desert of their sorrow and sin. As witnesses of the Gospel we are heralds, calling the thirsty to the living water so that they may receive all that they need to live a life of freedom, abundance, and satisfaction.

5.         Living water is the gift we receive that we can give to others.

Just like the woman at the well was filled with Christ and then poured out what she had received to her entire village, we too can share the eternal gift of Christ with everyone we meet. As we share by witnessing with our lives, the living water flows from our satisfied hearts into the empty hearts of the lost. As they are filled, that same living water will overflow from their lives into the lives of others as well.

A Call to Action

This week, take time to meditate on your need for God. Reflect on how your emptiness has been filled to overflowing by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Consider how this living water is abundantly available, freely given, and eternally renewing. Thank God for how he has poured out his love into your life, and then think of practical ways you can share that same love with those around you, particularly your Catholic brothers.

As Catholic men, we have been filled with the living water of Christ; yet we also know what it is like to experience spiritual dryness. Allow this experience of being satisfied to give you empathy for other men who are currently in the desert of doubt and despair. Let your experience of Christ’s abundant, overflowing life become a fountain from which other souls can drink. As you witness to this living water through your daily life, you can help others discover this same source of joy and peace.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE