Father Noel Alexandre's Moral Commentary on John 4:5-42

 Translated by Claude

MORAL COMMENTARY

Jn 4:6 "Jesus therefore, wearied from the journey, sat thus beside the spring." God is wearied for the sake of his creature's salvation. He grows weary so that he may procure for us eternal rest; he grows weary on the road so that he may seek us out as wanderers and lost. "For you, Jesus grew weary from the journey." Let us adore Jesus, both strong and weak: strong, because "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God — this was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him" — and made without labor; weak, because "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." The strength of Christ created you; the weakness of Christ re-created you. The strength of Christ caused what was not to exist; the weakness of Christ caused what existed not to perish. He founded us by his strength; he sought us out by his weakness. "Wearied from the journey" — his journey is the flesh assumed for us. What else therefore is he wearied by the journey, than wearied in the flesh of God incarnate for us? Let us follow the footsteps of the incarnate and wearied God; let us endure the labors and weariness of this mortal life and our condition for love of him and for his glory. Let our rest not be idle or serving pleasure, but indulging necessity, referred to God's glory and to the end of our salvation, so that with body cared for and strength restored we may serve God more eagerly and labor more fervently in his work and in the duties of our station. For this life is a life of labor, not of rest.

Jn 4:7 "A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her: 'Give me to drink.'" The heavenly hunter of souls had foreknown and decreed the Samaritan woman's coming to the spring. But when she appeared, he immediately proposed to entangle her in the nets of his teaching from eternity. That woman was a type of the Church — not yet justified, but to be justified. For the Church was to come from the Gentiles, a foreigner to the race of the Jews. Let us therefore hear ourselves in her, and recognize ourselves in her, and give thanks in her. Jesus said to her: "Woman, give me to drink." He who sought to drink was thirsting for the faith of that very woman.

Jn 4:10 "Jesus answered and said: 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you would perhaps have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.'" The gift of God is the Holy Spirit. Of this gift he suggests himself as giver. For to whom does it befit to bestow what belongs to God, if not to one who is God by nature? He calls it "living water" — that life-giving gift of the Spirit through which alone human nature, though utterly dried up like mountain stumps and rendered entirely without fruit by the devil's deceit, is recalled to its former natural beauty and, drinking in life-giving grace, is adorned with various kinds of good things and, budding forth again into the pursuit of virtue, puts forth the most abundant branches of divine love. Hence God says through the Prophet: "The beast of the field has glorified me, the dragons and the ostriches, because I have given water in the desert, rivers in the wilderness, to give drink to my chosen people. This people I have formed for myself; they shall declare my praise."

"If you knew the gift of God" — the gift of God is grace; it is not given on account of merits, because from itself comes every merit. If the grace of God came from merits, it would no longer be grace. For "who has first given to him, that it should be repaid?" We cannot even desire or ask for grace — indeed, we cannot even recognize our own need and poverty for it — without grace illuminating our darkness, without the Spirit of God helping our weakness. "For we are not sufficient to think anything of ourselves as if of ourselves, but our entire sufficiency is from God." And "we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit helps our weakness." To know Christ Jesus and the necessity of his grace is the first step toward conversion. "Woman, if you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you would perhaps have asked of him, and he would have given you living water."

Jn 4:11–14 "The woman said to him: 'Sir, you have nothing with which to draw, and the well is deep. Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and he himself drank from it, and his sons and his cattle?' Jesus answered and said to her: 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will not thirst forever.'"

And this is true according to this water, and true according to what that water signified. For the water in the well is the pleasure of the world — in dark depths; from here men draw it with the water-jar of desires. For they lower desire, as a vessel, to reach the pleasure drawn from the depths; and they enjoy the pleasure that follows the desire already sent ahead. For whoever has not sent desire ahead cannot reach pleasure. Take therefore the water-jar as desire, and the water from the depths as pleasure: when anyone reaches worldly pleasure, it is food, drink, washing, spectacle, fornication — does he not thirst again? Therefore "everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again." But "whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will not thirst forever." "We shall be satisfied," says the King-Prophet, "with the good things of your house." Of what water therefore will he give, if not of that of which it is said: "With you is the fountain of life"? For how shall they thirst who shall be inebriated with the richness of your house?

Jn 4:14 "But the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water leaping up to eternal life." For just as if someone had a spring inside himself he would never thirst, so whoever has this water — namely the Holy Spirit dwelling in his soul, the fountain of all heavenly goods — will suffer no thirst for earthly goods, with charity filling his heart. This indeed does not happen perfectly in this mortal life, in which there is almost a perpetual struggle between desire and charity. But charity will completely fill the saints in eternal life when all desire is entirely excluded and consumed, "when this mortal has put on immortality and this corruptible has put on incorruption." "It will become in him a spring of water leaping up to eternal life" — for every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, and continually ascends with humble thanksgiving of the elect upon whom it descends back to its source, and finally joins them perfectly to God and raises them to eternal life.

Jn 4:15 "The woman said to him: 'Sir, give me this water, so that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.'" Need compelled her to labor, and weakness shrank from labor. She had not yet heard him saying: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." The beginning of grace is the desire for grace. This is the first operation of interior grace — that it be desired, and, once desired, sought through prayer. "Lord, give us this water" — your Holy Spirit, your grace — "so that we may thirst for nothing except you, the fountain of living water. Make your grace be in us a perennial spring — not passing swiftly like a torrent — so that it fail neither in winter of tribulation nor in summer of prosperity." Summer tests whether a spring or a torrent is in us — whether grace in us is a spring or a torrent that dries up in the heat of evil desires. Desire and iniquity always have labor as a companion, always difficulty — by which the unhappy soul is wearied on the muddy road of pleasure. "We have been weary in the way of iniquity and perdition; we have walked hard roads." The well is deep; from this water men and cattle drink. But grace and charity bring ineffable sweetness and ease in good things, making what God commands more delightful than what impedes it. "For the Lord will give kindness" — or as Saint Augustine reads it, "sweetness" — "and our earth will give its fruit." These words Saint Augustine explains thus: "When you have begun to hate sins and to confess to God — when unlawful delights seize you and draw you toward them — sigh to God and, confessing your sins to him, you will merit from him the delight and sweetness of doing justice; he will give you that justice begins to delight you, who formerly found delight in iniquity: so that one who formerly rejoiced in drunkenness rejoices in sobriety; and one who formerly rejoiced in thefts, in taking from a man what he did not have, seeks to give to one who has not what he himself has; and one who was delighted by rapine is delighted by giving; one who was delighted by spectacles is delighted by prayer; one who was delighted by frivolous and adulterous songs is delighted to sing a hymn to God, to run to church — who formerly ran to the theater. Whence was born this sweetness, if not because the Lord will give sweetness, and our earth will give its fruit?"

Jn 4:16–18 "Jesus said to her: 'Go, call your husband and come here.' The woman answered and said: 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to her: 'You have spoken well. For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband; this you have spoken truly.'"

The second operation of grace in man is the recognition, horror, and confession of sin: "I have no husband."

"Lord, as I see, you are a Prophet." Saint Augustine mystically interprets the five previous husbands of the soul as the five senses of the body. For when anyone is born, before he can use his mind and reason, he is governed by nothing except the senses of the flesh. In a young child, the soul seeks or flees what is heard, seen, smelled, tasted, or felt by touch. It seeks whatever soothes it, flees whatever offends — these five senses. For pleasure soothes these five senses, and pain offends them. The soul lives first according to these five senses as if according to five husbands, because it is governed by them. Why are they called husbands? Because they are legitimate — made by God and given by God to the soul. The soul that is still governed by these five senses and acts under these five husbands is weak; but when it comes to the age of using reason, if it is taken up by the best discipline and the teaching of wisdom, there succeeds to the governance of those five husbands none other than the true and lawful husband — better than they, one who governs better, who trains for eternity, who instructs for eternity. For these five senses do not govern us toward eternity but toward these temporal things, to be either sought or avoided. But when the intellect, imbued with wisdom, begins to govern the soul, it knows already not only how to avoid a ditch and walk on level ground — as the eyes show the weak soul — and not only to hear pleasant voices sweetly and repel discordant ones, or to delight in pleasant odors and reject stenches, or to be captivated by sweetness and offended by bitterness, or to be soothed by softness and hurt by roughness. For all these things belong to the weak soul. What governance then is applied through that intellect? Not to distinguish white from black, but just from unjust, good from evil, useful from useless, chastity from impurity — to love the former, to avoid the latter; charity from hatred — to dwell in the former, not in the latter. This husband did not succeed to those five husbands in that woman — for it did not succeed because error held sway. For when the soul has begun to be capable of reason, it is governed either by a wise mind or by error; but error does not govern, it destroys. After those five senses, therefore, the woman was still wandering and error was tossing her about. Now this error was not a lawful husband but an adulterer — and therefore the Lord said to her: "You have well said, 'I have no husband.' For you have had five husbands" — five senses of the flesh first ruled you — "you came to the age of using reason and did not arrive at wisdom, but fell into error. Therefore, after those five husbands, this one whom you have is not your husband." And what was he, if not a husband? Nothing but an adulterer. "Call therefore not the adulterer but your husband" — that you may grasp me by intellect, not conceive some falsehood about me through error. For the woman was still erring, who was thinking of that water when the Lord was already speaking of the Holy Spirit. Why was she erring? Because she had an adulterer, not a husband. Remove therefore from here this adulterer who corrupts you. "Go, call your husband, and come" — call him and come, so that you may understand me. The woman said to him: "Lord, I see that you are a Prophet." The husband was beginning to come — not yet fully come. She thought the Lord was a prophet. He was indeed also a prophet — for concerning himself he says: "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country." And it was said of him to Moses: "A prophet will I raise up for them from among their brothers, like you" — like you in the form of the flesh, not in the eminence of majesty. Therefore the woman was already not far off: "I see," she says, "that you are a Prophet." She begins to call her husband, to exclude the adulterer.

Jn 4:23 "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." He excludes the Samaritans and Jews from the number of true worshippers, and even though the Jews were better, he indicated that they were far inferior to those who were coming — by as much as a figure is inferior to the truth. But he signifies the Church, for in her is the true and due worship of God. Who then are the true worshippers? Those who circumscribe divine worship by no place; who worship God in spirit — as Paul also says: "Whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son"; and: "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your reasonable service." By "spirit" he signifies the incorporeal — for the worship of an incorporeal being must be such: incorporeal — and offered through the incorporeal element in us, that is, through the soul and in the soul. "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." For since both Jews and Samaritans, neglecting the soul, were greatly devoted to the cleanliness of the body, he says that worship must be rendered not by washing and adorning the body, but by the mind. Therefore do not offer cattle — not calves — but offer your whole self to God as a sacrifice; thus will you present a living victim. In truth it is necessary to worship — for what in former times were figures: burnt offerings, sacrifices, incense — these are no more; but all is truth. For it is not the flesh but evil thoughts that must be circumcised, and we must crucify ourselves and destroy and slay irrational desires. "The true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" — not now on the mountain, not in Jerusalem, but in the Catholic Church; in her alone, not in any other assembly or sect, are there true worshippers; in her alone is the true sacrifice, both external and visible — the pure offering, the saving victim which in every place throughout the whole world, wherever the Christian Catholic Religion is spread, is offered to the true God — and the internal sacrifice, of which the visible sacrifice is the sign, namely the sacrifice of a contrite heart and chaste body, in the spirit of charity which is the spirit of sons and true Christians, in the truth and purity of faith unmixed with errors, which is the mark of Catholics. "Therefore do all things within." And if perhaps you seek some high place, some holy place — present yourself within as God's Temple. "For the Temple of God is holy — and you are it." Within the visible Temple, pray inwardly. But be the Temple of God, because he in his Temple will hear the one who prays.

Jn 4:25–26 "The woman said to him: 'I know that the Messiah is coming; when he comes, he will tell us all things.' Jesus said to her: 'I am he, who speaks with you.'" Christ thus reveals himself to simple people. He teaches the Samaritan woman within her soul and leads her gradually to knowledge of himself, revealing mysteries which he hides from the wise and prudent. He tells her "all things" — for what more does one need to know who knows the true God and Christ? "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Let us give perpetual thanks to him who came into the world for our sakes to teach us all things necessary for salvation. Let us hear him speaking to us in the Sacred Scriptures — him who deigned to speak with the Samaritan woman and to teach her the deepest mysteries. Let us not only hear and read the Gospel but carry it inscribed on the fleshy tablets of our hearts; let us frequently turn over in our minds its sentences, its history, its precepts, its words, its miracles, the examples of Jesus our Lord, and our mind will be purified and sanctified. For if the devil does not dare to enter even a house in which the Gospel is present, how much less will demon or sin touch a soul made familiar through its constant reading — neither demon nor sin will touch it. Sanctify the soul, sanctify the body — this will come about if you always have the Gospel both in your soul and on your tongue. If the tongue's filthiness defiles the soul, it is evident that spiritual reading sanctifies it and floods it abundantly with the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are divine songs — from them let us seek a remedy for ourselves and for the affections of our soul. If we perceived their usefulness, we would devote ourselves to them with incredible intensity.

Jn 4:27 "And immediately his disciples came and marveled that he was speaking with a woman." They marveled at the condescension and incredible humility of Christ, who did not disdain to address kindly a poor and Samaritan woman. They marveled because he who had come to seek what was lost was seeking a lost one — they did not suspect evil. God, who created male and female, freely distributes the gifts of his faith and grace to both sexes. In Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female. Let the Pastors and Doctors of the Church set this example before themselves and not refuse women. For one must follow not one's own will but the usefulness of preaching — in women there is often greater docility than in men, greater piety; more abundant are the gifts of God upon those whom he chooses as the weak of the world, "so that no flesh may glory in his sight." Yet let the ministers of the Gospel beware of the devil's snares — let them converse with women in all chastity, avoiding familiarity; let their conversations with women be neither frequent nor prolonged; let them not be secret; and let them not bestow their spiritual pastoral care preferentially upon the noble and wealthy, the clever or the beautiful, rather than upon the poor, the humble, and the simple. "And they marveled that he was speaking with a woman."

Jn 4:28–29 "The woman therefore left her water jar and went into the city and said to the men: 'Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Is this not the Christ?'"

"Victorious over bodily care," says Saint Cyril, "and she who had often yielded to the stupid use of the flesh, defrauds necessary bodily use and, disdaining food and drink, is reformed through faith into another person." And immediately, having embraced charity — the best of virtues — she announces with swift course to the city the good that had been offered to her, eagerly and fervently. For Jesus was crying out to her inwardly in the ear of her heart: "Freely you have received, freely give." Hence we must not imitate that lazy servant who buried his talent in the ground, but strive to exercise it and bring others to the knowledge of Christ both by word and by example. This that most celebrated woman does excellently — she shares the good offered to her. She no longer draws at a spring the water she had drawn until now, nor carries a vessel home again, but bearing her mind full of divine and heavenly grace and the most wise teaching of the Savior, she leaves her jar behind.

"The woman left her water jar." Having heard "I am he who speaks with you" and having received Christ the Lord into her heart, what should she do but leave the jar and run to proclaim the Gospel? She cast off desire and hastened to announce the truth. Let those who wish to preach the Gospel learn — let them throw down the jar at the well. Consider the woman's zeal, consider her wisdom. She had come for the purpose of drawing water, and when she found the true spring she despised the other — to admonish us, even by this small example, that for the sake of spiritual things we must despise all worldly things and take no account of them except for necessity; which both the Apostles did, and this woman. For just as they, called by Jesus, left their nets behind, so she of her own accord left her jar; and, prevented by God's grace, she performs an apostolic function — and she calls not one or two, as Andrew and Philip did, but summons the entire city and brings the people to Christ.

"The woman left her water jar." She carries not the jar but brings back grace. She seems to return empty of a burden, but she returns full of holiness. She who came as a sinner returns as a preacher. And she who had lost the small vessel of a water jar carries back the fullness of Christ, bringing no loss to her city. For even if she did not bring water to the citizens, she brought in the fountain of salvation. He who is truly converted to Christ forgets earthly things, casts off burdens, abandons impediments, restrains desires, renounces pleasures — not only gives thanks for the heavenly gifts received, but burning with zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, loves to speak of God with others, and, when occasion is given, invites and draws all to his knowledge and love: "Come and see. Is this not the Christ?"

Jn 4:34 "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." The work of God is the salvation of souls. Let the food and delight of a Pastor be the pastoral function and ministry — for nothing in the world is greater or more excellent. Yet in it one must love not its eminence and excellence but the will of God; one must devote oneself to the sacred functions not because they please us but because they please God. The work must be loved not because it is ours but because it is God's; it must be begun and completed by him and for him, who is the beginning and end of all good. The Holy Spirit speaks through the mouth of the Preacher and produces faith and charity in the heart of the listener. One must labor in the apostolic and pastoral function with equal humility and fervor, lest while we strive to accomplish God's work in others through teaching, the devil accomplish his own work in us through pride. The bee must be imitated — it hovers above its honey lest, clinging to it, it be caught and suffocated. In abundance of honey the little bee does not in vain have wings — for it ensnares one who clings. Therefore, accomplishing the work of God in the Spirit of Christ Jesus, let us say with him: "I do not seek my own glory"; and "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory."

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me, etc." Christ Jesus set himself as the most intense and distinguished model for future teachers, pastors, preachers, and doctors of the world in devoting themselves to teaching the science of salvation and to the conversion of souls — a devotion to which even the necessary things of the body must be subordinated. For when he says that doing the will of him who sent him and accomplishing his work is the sweetest food for him, he describes the function of the apostolic ministry. Those intent on the care of teaching must withdraw from the delights of the flesh to such an extent that they barely admit the necessary service offered for the preservation of life.

Jn 4:35 "Lift up your eyes and see the regions — they are already white for harvest." How many nations God calls to faith! How many sinners to be roused to repentance! How ample a harvest destined for the evangelical laborers! "Lift up therefore your eyes" — pray that he may send laborers into his harvest — "to the nations who did not know him, and who had not invoked his name." Go into the field of the Lord and labor in his harvest, all you who are called to this and burn with zeal for the salvation of souls and the propagation of the faith. May the promise of eternal life, the salvation of souls, the perfection of the body, the glory of the elect, and God crowning both sowers and reapers and beatifying them with his enjoyment — may these kindle you to labor. "And he who reaps receives a reward and gathers fruit to eternal life, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together."

Jn 4:38 "I sent you to reap what you have not labored for; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." Who labored? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob themselves — read their labors in all their works. They are prophetic figures of Christ and therefore sowers. Moses and the other Patriarchs and all the Prophets — how much did they endure in that cold when they were sowing? So then in Judea the harvest was already ready. Rightly was it like a ripe field there when so many thousands of men brought the price of their possessions and, laying them at the feet of the Apostles, with shoulders freed from worldly burdens followed Christ the Lord. A truly ripe harvest! What came of it? From that very harvest, a few grains were taken out and they sowed the whole world — and another harvest rises, to be reaped at the end of the age. Of this harvest it is said: "They who sow in tears will reap in joy." For this harvest, not the Apostles but the Angels will be sent: "The reapers," he says, "are the Angels." This harvest therefore grows among the tares and awaits purification at the end. But that earlier harvest was already ripe — to which the disciples were first sent, where the Prophets had labored. Let the evangelical laborers not exalt themselves when they gather an abundant harvest — for that fruit is often the result of the prayers, labors, and patience of others; and in any case all must be attributed to God, by whose help the word is sown, grows, ripens, is gathered, and brought into the granary.