“Merciful Father, as you have sent the Holy Spirit on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to write all that You wished and wanted, we pray You, send the same Holy Spirit on us, so that we may understand, appreciate Your Word, and make it our plan of life. This we ask for the merits of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
30 …. In our society we normally greet friends or guests by welcoming them at home and then we offer them a drink; alcoholic drink, a soft drink, beer, tea or coffee, or any other drink according to the season or particular culture and custom. In the days of Jesus they would welcome guests by offering them a glass of WATER. The offering of water meant that the guest is deserving of a peaceful reception. It is a simple drink, but it is a simple way to pledge friendship with a person.
Lets go to Genesis, 24, 17 -18:
“Give me a drink, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher.”
This was Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, talking to a maid who was at the well to draw water. She answered him:
” Drink my lord.”
That reply was a sign of welcome and an invitation to be a guest at the household from where the maid had come.
The land of Palestine was relatively dry, because of lack of rainfall. Whilst summer is long and rather hot. So the inhabitants had to fetch water from a natural spring, or from wells which they themselves used to dig. In fact the Bible mentions certain springs connected with cities or villages from where the source begins. As an example we mention Gibghon (2Sam. 2/13); Hebron (2Sam. 4/12); Samaria (1Kings 22 /38) and Jerusalem (Is.7/3). From archeological finds we know that there existed an extensive water system. This information, especially, comes from excavations at Qumran and Masada.
In those days there were water-sellers (see Is.55/1). But as always happens in life the source of water proved as a source of trouble, the cause of many a strife, arguments and fighting between Bedouins and shepherds.
The carrying of water was the task usually allotted to girls or women, but not to men. (Gen. 24/11;1Sam.9/11). This can still be testified if one goes to the Middles Eastern countries. The Gospel recounts two instances regarding the carrying of water; one of the Samaritan woman who went to fetch water from a the wel at Sichar (John4). The other instance was when Jesus gave as a sign to His two apostles, Peter and John, to follow a man carrying water to the inn where they had to prepare for the Easter meal(Mk.14/13). This shows how rare it was to see men carrying pitchers of water.
In ‘water’ the sacred authors saw life and salvation. The salvific happenings of God with the Israelites, their experiences of God, are like huge springs of water giving life to the dry deserts. The prophets interpreted this as a sign from God meaning that the ‘scorched’ land has changed into a life giving lake, and the earth had changed into living springs.
As a contrast when the Israelites distanced themselves from God because of their behavior they become like stretches of dry deserts, scorched with the heat of the sun. We can sense this feeling in Psalm 62/2:
“In a desert land, where there is no way and no water: so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see your power and your glory.” /31.
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