In season 1 episode 11 of The Ordinary Catholic Podcast, we reflect on the remarkable encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John.

When Jesus tells the woman that the time is coming when worship will happen neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, His words would have sounded astonishing to anyone living in the first century. For nearly a thousand years the Temple in Jerusalem had stood at the center of Israel’s relationship with God.

So what did Jesus mean?

In this reflection we explore the historical tension between Jews and Samaritans, the importance of the Temple in Jewish worship, the deep human search for “living water,” and how Jesus reveals a new reality: true worship of the Father happens in spirit and in truth.

We also consider how the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD sheds light on Jesus’ words and how this Gospel continues to speak to our lives today.

The living water Christ offers is still flowing, and the invitation He gave at that well in Samaria remains open to each of us.