JOHN 4:7–15
THE GIFT OF LIVING WATER: JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
BRIEF INTERPRETATION
Text – John 4:7–15
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
8 His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water?”
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
14 but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Historical and Jewish Context
The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman breaks several social and religious barriers. Jewish men did not normally speak publicly with women, and Jews avoided contact with Samaritans due to longstanding hostility. Drawing water at noon suggests social marginalization, as women usually came in the cooler morning hours. In biblical tradition, “living water” referred to flowing water, symbolizing freshness and life. Jacob’s well held deep patriarchal significance for both Jews and Samaritans, linking the conversation to shared covenantal history.
Catholic Theological Perspective
This dialogue reveals Jesus as the giver of divine life. His request for water initiates a deeper exchange, moving from physical need to spiritual thirst. Catholic theology understands the “living water” as the gift of the Holy Spirit, communicated through Christ and sacramentally through Baptism. Jesus’ offer addresses the deepest longing of the human heart, which cannot be satisfied by material realities alone. The woman’s gradual openness shows how grace works patiently, leading the soul from misunderstanding to desire for salvation.
Parallels in Scripture
Isaiah 12:3 – Drawing water joyfully from the wells of salvation.
Jeremiah 2:13 – God as the fountain of living water.
Ezekiel 47:1–12 – Life-giving water flowing from the temple.
John 7:37–39 – Rivers of living water flowing from believers.
Revelation 22:1 – The river of life flowing from God’s throne.
Key Terms
Living water – Divine life given by Christ through the Spirit.
Gift of God – Grace freely offered, not earned.
Thirst – Humanity’s deep spiritual longing.
Spring of water – An interior source of eternal life.
Eternal life – Participation in God’s own life.
Catholic Liturgical Significance
This Gospel is proclaimed during Lent, especially in the context of baptismal preparation. The Church uses this passage to teach about Baptism, conversion, and the Holy Spirit. It invites the faithful to recognize their own thirst for God and to receive Christ as the source of true life.
Conclusion
John 4:7–15 reveals Jesus as the one who quenches humanity’s deepest thirst. By offering living water, He invites the Samaritan woman—and all believers—into a life that springs from God Himself and leads to eternal communion.
Reflection
What thirsts in my life do I try to satisfy apart from God?
Do I allow Jesus to reveal my deeper spiritual needs?
How do I respond to Christ’s offer of living water?
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You offer living water to all who thirst. Draw me to Yourself, cleanse my heart, and fill me with the Holy Spirit. May Your grace become within me a spring of eternal life, and may I never cease to seek You. Amen.
DETAILED INTERPRETATION
INTRODUCTION
John 4:7–15 records the opening dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, unveiling the theme of living water as God’s gift that satisfies the deepest human thirst. Jesus initiates the encounter with a simple request, “Give me a drink,” crossing established boundaries of gender, ethnicity, and religious custom. The woman’s surprise highlights these divisions, yet Jesus’ request is already an invitation into something greater than social exchange.
Jesus quickly redirects the conversation from physical water to a spiritual reality. He speaks of “the gift of God” and offers living water—water that becomes a spring welling up to eternal life. The woman, still thinking on a literal level, expresses interest in this water that would spare her daily labor and thirst. Her response reveals both misunderstanding and openness. Jesus patiently leads her from material concern toward a deeper desire, preparing her heart for revelation. The passage presents a movement from need to promise, from ordinary thirst to divine fulfillment.
Jn 4:7 — “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’”
This verse initiates one of the most profound personal encounters in the Gospel of John. The scene shifts from quiet waiting to deliberate engagement. A Samaritan woman arrives for an ordinary task—drawing water—unaware that her life is about to be transformed. Jesus speaks first, crossing multiple boundaries with a simple request.
The request “Give me a drink” is humble and disarming. Jesus, tired and thirsty, asks for help. The one who gives living water begins by asking for water. This reversal reveals the logic of grace: God approaches humanity not by domination, but by vulnerability. Divine initiative takes the form of human need.
The woman is described simply as “a woman of Samaria.” Her identity already signals tension. She belongs to a people despised by Jews, and she is a woman—someone a Jewish rabbi would normally avoid addressing publicly. Yet Jesus initiates conversation without hesitation. Grace does not wait for worthiness or correct status.
This verse also establishes the theme of thirst—physical now, spiritual soon to be revealed. The well of Jacob becomes the meeting place between human thirst and divine gift. What begins as a request for water will unfold into an offer of eternal life.
For believers, this verse teaches attentiveness. God often enters our lives through ordinary moments and unexpected requests. Christ still speaks first, inviting encounter where we least expect it.
Historical and Jewish Context
Jews typically avoided interaction with Samaritans, and rabbis did not engage women publicly. Drawing water was a daily task, but noon was an unusual time, suggesting social isolation or personal burden.
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that Christ initiates salvation by freely reaching out to sinners and the marginalized. His humility reveals the path of true evangelization—encounter before instruction (cf. CCC 544, 2560).
Key Terms
Woman of Samaria — marginalized identity
Came to draw water — ordinary routine
Give me a drink — humble initiative
Jesus said — divine outreach
Conclusion
John 4:7 reveals that salvation begins with encounter. Jesus meets a marginalized woman in her daily routine and opens the door to grace through a simple, humble request.
Reflection
Am I attentive to Christ’s presence and voice in the ordinary moments of my daily life?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You approach me with humility and speak first in love. Open my heart to recognize You in ordinary moments, and give me the grace to respond when You invite me into deeper encounter. Amen.
Jn 4:8 — “His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.”
This brief verse quietly explains why Jesus is alone at the well, creating the conditions for a deeply personal encounter. The absence of the disciples is not accidental. Their departure removes social barriers and distractions, allowing the conversation with the Samaritan woman to unfold without interruption or mediation.
The detail also highlights Jesus’ intentional vulnerability. Left alone, tired, and thirsty, He engages directly with someone whom society would overlook. Evangelization here is not organized or public; it is personal, relational, and unguarded. God chooses the simplicity of one-on-one encounter.
By noting that the disciples went “to buy food,” John reinforces the ordinary setting of the scene. Daily needs—hunger, travel, rest—frame a moment of divine revelation. Grace does not interrupt ordinary life; it enters through it.
This verse further underscores Jesus’ freedom. He does not depend on the presence of His disciples to act. The mission of salvation is not constrained by structure or company. Christ meets hearts directly, wherever they are.
For believers, this verse teaches that God often works in quiet spaces, when helpers step aside and control is relinquished. Some encounters require solitude, attentiveness, and trust in God’s initiative.
Historical and Jewish Context
Traveling teachers usually moved with disciples, and social norms discouraged solitary interaction with women, especially Samaritans. The disciples’ absence makes this encounter both unusual and intentional.
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that Christ engages each person personally and freely. Evangelization begins with encounter and dialogue, guided by the Spirit rather than circumstance (cf. CCC 2560, 2697).
Key Terms
Disciples — community of mission
Gone into the town — purposeful absence
Buy food — ordinary necessity
Alone — space for encounter
Conclusion
John 4:8 shows that God creates space for grace. In the quiet absence of others, Jesus prepares for a life-changing encounter.
Reflection
Do I allow space and silence for Christ to speak personally to me and to others through me?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You meet souls in quiet and unexpected moments. Teach me to value silence, attentiveness, and presence, so that I may recognize and respond to Your saving work when You draw near. Amen.
Jn 4:9 — “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?’ (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)”
This verse gives voice to the shock created by Jesus’ simple request. The Samaritan woman immediately recognizes the boundaries that have been crossed. Her question names them plainly: ethnic hostility (Jew–Samaritan), religious division, and gender norms (man–woman). What Jesus treats as an ordinary human exchange, she knows to be socially unthinkable.
John adds an explanatory note—“For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans”—to ensure that the depth of the divide is understood. This is not a personal hesitation but a centuries-old rupture. Shared utensils, food, or drink were avoided because of ritual impurity and mutual contempt. Jesus’ request therefore challenges not just custom, but identity and prejudice.
The woman’s response is cautious but honest. She does not refuse outright; she questions. Her openness to dialogue, even in surprise, keeps the encounter alive. What begins as social tension becomes the doorway to revelation. Grace often enters through discomfort.
This verse highlights how the Gospel confronts exclusion. Jesus does not ignore difference, nor does He deny it. Instead, He crosses it intentionally. By asking for a drink, He places Himself in need of the very person society marginalizes. Relationship begins with humility.
For believers, this verse exposes hidden boundaries we may still defend—those of culture, status, history, or fear. Christ’s way of salvation often begins by unsettling what we assume must remain separate.
Historical and Jewish Context
Jews and Samaritans had been divided since the Assyrian exile (8th century BC). Disputes over Scripture, worship, and sacred sites deepened hostility, leading to strict social separation.
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that Christ breaks down walls of division and restores human communion. In Him, barriers of race, gender, and history are overcome by grace (cf. CCC 543, 817).
Key Terms
Samaritan woman — marginalized identity
Jew — religious boundary
Ask me — radical reversal
Nothing in common — deep division
Conclusion
John 4:9 reveals the power of Christ’s initiative. A simple request exposes entrenched divisions and opens the way for reconciliation and grace.
Reflection
What boundaries or prejudices do I assume cannot be crossed, but which Christ may be inviting me to overcome?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You cross boundaries with humility and love. Expose the divisions in my heart. Give me the courage to meet others as You do—with openness, respect, and a willingness to be vulnerable for the sake of grace. Amen.
Jn 4:10 — “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.’”
This verse marks the decisive shift from social tension to divine revelation. Jesus responds to the woman’s surprise not by addressing ethnic or religious boundaries directly, but by lifting the conversation to the level of gift. What appears as a request for water becomes an invitation to receive what only God can give.
The phrase “the gift of God” introduces the central theme of grace. The woman thinks in terms of obligation and prohibition; Jesus speaks of gift and generosity. Salvation is not earned, negotiated, or restricted by boundaries—it is given freely by God. Her lack of knowledge is not condemnation, but opportunity.
Jesus also reveals that true understanding depends on recognizing who is speaking. The issue is not merely what is offered, but the identity of the giver. If she knew who stood before her, the roles would be reversed: she would be the one asking. Divine abundance stands hidden behind apparent human need.
The promise of “living water” moves the dialogue from physical thirst to spiritual desire. In biblical language, living water signifies life that flows, renews, and endures. Jesus presents Himself as the source of a life that does not run dry—an answer to the deepest thirst of the human heart.
For believers, this verse teaches attentiveness to grace. God often approaches us disguised in ordinary moments, even in apparent weakness. Recognition transforms encounter into petition, and petition into gift.
Historical and Jewish Context
“Living water” referred to fresh, flowing water, often associated with purity and life. Prophetic texts used this image to describe God’s life-giving presence (cf. Jer 2:13; Zec 14:8).
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that Christ is the source of living water, fulfilled sacramentally in Baptism and continually offered through grace and the Holy Spirit (cf. CCC 694, 1215).
Key Terms
Gift of God — grace freely given
Who it is — identity of Christ
Living water — divine life
You would have asked — reversal of roles
Conclusion
John 4:10 reveals Jesus as the giver of God’s supreme gift. When Christ is recognized, human need becomes the doorway to divine abundance.
Reflection
Do I recognize Christ present in my ordinary encounters, and do I ask Him for the life He longs to give?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the gift of God and the source of living water. Open my eyes to recognize You, awaken my thirst for true life, and fill me with the grace that only You can give. Amen.
Jn 4:11 — “The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water?’”
This verse reveals the woman’s honest yet limited understanding. She listens attentively to Jesus’ promise but interprets it within the boundaries of physical reality. Her response is practical and grounded in visible facts: no bucket, a deep well, and no apparent means to draw water. Mystery is met with logic.
The title “Sir” marks a subtle shift in respect. Earlier she addressed Jesus primarily as a Jew; now she speaks with courtesy and openness. Though she does not yet grasp His meaning, she remains engaged in dialogue. Her questioning is not dismissive, but sincere. She wants to understand how what He promises could possibly be true.
The depth of the well becomes symbolic. The woman looks downward, toward physical limitation, while Jesus speaks of a gift that comes from above. Her focus on method reveals the human tendency to ask how before trusting who. Yet this misunderstanding is necessary—it draws her deeper into the revelation that follows.
This verse illustrates a common stage in spiritual growth. Divine promises often sound impossible when measured by human resources. Jesus allows the tension to remain, knowing that deeper thirst must surface before deeper truth can be received.
For believers, this verse affirms that questioning is part of the journey. Faith does not begin with full understanding, but with honest engagement. God meets us patiently where our understanding still clings to the tangible.
Historical and Jewish Context
Wells in the ancient world were deep and required buckets or skins to draw water. “Living water” would normally imply flowing water, not water from a cistern, intensifying the woman’s confusion.
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that divine revelation often surpasses human reasoning. Faith grows as believers move from reliance on visible means to trust in God’s invisible grace (cf. CCC 158, 301).
Key Terms
Sir — growing respect
No bucket — human limitation
Cistern is deep — depth of need
Living water — misunderstood promise
Conclusion
John 4:11 shows the tension between human logic and divine promise. Honest misunderstanding becomes the pathway through which deeper revelation unfolds.
Reflection
When God promises more than I can imagine, do I remain open, or do I limit faith to what I can explain?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, when Your promises exceed my understanding, keep me open and listening. Lead me beyond what I can see and measure, and help me trust in the life You alone can give. Amen.
Jn 4:12 — “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?”
This verse brings the conversation to a crucial point of comparison. The Samaritan woman now appeals to tradition, ancestry, and authority. By invoking “our father Jacob,” she grounds her question in shared patriarchal heritage and long-standing religious identity. The well is not merely a source of water; it is a symbol of continuity, legitimacy, and inheritance.
Her question, “Are you greater…?” is both skeptical and searching. On the surface, it sounds defensive, as if protecting ancestral pride. Yet beneath it lies a genuine openness: Could you really be greater than Jacob? She is beginning to sense that Jesus’ promise challenges even the deepest foundations of her religious understanding.
Jacob drank from this well, as did his children and flocks. The emphasis is on sufficiency and endurance. This well sustained generations; it was dependable, familiar, and honored. The woman contrasts this tangible, time-tested source with Jesus’ invisible promise. The question forces a choice between inherited security and new revelation.
John allows this tension to stand. The woman’s loyalty to Jacob mirrors Israel’s broader struggle: whether to remain anchored solely in what was given before, or to recognize that God is now doing something greater. Jesus will soon reveal that He does not abolish Jacob’s gift, but surpasses it.
For believers, this verse raises a vital question. Tradition is precious and life-giving, but it is not ultimate. Faith must remain open to fulfillment. Christ invites reverence for the past while calling us beyond it into fullness of life.
Historical and Jewish Context
Both Jews and Samaritans claimed Jacob as their ancestor. Wells associated with patriarchs carried deep symbolic authority as signs of God’s provision and covenant continuity.
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that Christ fulfills and surpasses the Old Covenant. He is greater than the patriarchs because He brings the definitive gift of divine life, not merely sustenance (cf. CCC 577, 593).
Key Terms
Greater than Jacob — question of authority
Our father — shared heritage
Cistern — inherited provision
Children and flocks — generational sufficiency
Conclusion
John 4:12 brings the encounter to the threshold of decision. Is Jesus merely another teacher, or the one who surpasses even the greatest gifts of the past?
Reflection
Do I cling to familiar religious securities, or am I open to the greater life Christ offers beyond what I have always known?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You honor the gifts of the past and fulfill them in Yourself. Free my heart from fear of the new. Help me recognize You as greater than all that has sustained me before, and lead me into the fullness of life You alone can give. Amen.
Jn 4:13 — “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.’”
This verse marks the beginning of Jesus’ clear distinction between what is temporary and what is eternal. He responds directly to the woman’s appeal to Jacob and the well by acknowledging the limits of even the most honored sources of provision. The water from Jacob’s well is real and necessary—but it is not final. It satisfies for a time, yet thirst inevitably returns.
Jesus’ words are universal: “everyone who drinks this water.” No exception is made—not for patriarchs, not for tradition, not for past faithfulness. Human provisions, however valuable, cannot satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart. Physical water sustains life, but it cannot fulfill it.
This statement gently exposes a deeper truth. The woman came to the well repeatedly, day after day, year after year. Her physical routine mirrors a spiritual reality: repeated attempts to satisfy deeper thirst through finite means. Jesus does not criticize the well; He reveals its limitation.
The verse prepares the ground for contrast. Before Jesus can offer living water, He must awaken awareness of recurring thirst. Only those who recognize the insufficiency of ordinary water will desire what is truly living. Grace begins where false sufficiency ends.
For believers, this verse invites honest self-examination. Many things sustain us temporarily—work, success, relationships, habits—but none can quench the thirst for meaning, forgiveness, and eternal life. Jesus names this reality plainly and compassionately.
Historical and Jewish Context
Wells were essential for survival in the ancient world, yet they required continual return. Biblical wisdom often used thirst as an image for human limitation and dependence on God (cf. Ps 63:2).
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that created goods are good but limited. Only God can fully satisfy the human heart, which is made for eternal communion with Him (cf. CCC 1718, 2547).
Key Terms
Everyone — universal human condition
This water — earthly provision
Will be thirsty again — recurring insufficiency
Answered — authoritative clarification
Conclusion
John 4:13 reveals a fundamental truth: what sustains us temporarily cannot fulfill us eternally. Human thirst points beyond itself to God.
Reflection
What do I repeatedly return to, hoping it will satisfy me—yet leaves me thirsty again?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You know the limits of all that I rely on. Help me recognize where I settle for temporary satisfaction. Awaken in me a deeper thirst for the life that only You can give. Amen.
Jn 4:14 — “But whoever drinks the water that I will give will never thirst; the water that I will give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
This verse completes Jesus’ contrast between temporary satisfaction and eternal fulfillment. Having named the inevitability of recurring thirst, Jesus now reveals the promise of definitive renewal. The shift is striking: from drinking again to never thirsting, from external supply to an interior source.
The promise “will never thirst” does not deny physical need, but speaks to the deepest hunger of the human heart. Jesus offers not momentary relief, but lasting transformation. What He gives does not simply quench thirst; it changes the condition of the one who receives it.
The water Jesus gives “will become in him a spring.” The gift is internalized. Grace is no longer something sought repeatedly from outside, but a living presence within. The believer becomes a place where God’s life flows. This spring is active, dynamic, and self-renewing—“welling up” continually.
The destination of this gift is “eternal life.” Eternal life here is not only future reward, but present participation in God’s own life. The living water begins its work now, sustaining faith, healing wounds, and orienting the soul toward fullness in God.
For believers, this verse reveals the generosity of Christ. He does not offer minimal sufficiency, but overflowing life. What He gives transforms not only need, but identity—from one who draws water to one who bears it.
Historical and Jewish Context
Prophetic tradition spoke of God as the source of living water and envisioned a future when water would flow abundantly as a sign of salvation (cf. Is 12:3; Ez 47:1–12).
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that Christ gives the living water of the Holy Spirit, especially through Baptism, which initiates eternal life and continually renews the believer by grace (cf. CCC 694, 1215, 1694).
Key Terms
Never thirst — definitive fulfillment
I will give — grace as gift
Spring of water — interior life of grace
Eternal life — participation in God
Conclusion
John 4:14 reveals Jesus as the source of eternal life. The water He gives does not merely satisfy—it transforms the believer into a living spring of grace.
Reflection
Do I live from the interior life Christ offers, or do I still seek fulfillment only from external sources?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the giver of living water. Let Your grace flow within me as a living spring. Free me from every false thirst, and draw me into the joy and fullness of eternal life that You alone can give. Amen.
Jn 4:15 — “The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’”
This verse reveals the woman’s first explicit desire for what Jesus offers. Her response shows genuine interest and openness, even though her understanding remains partial. She asks for the water Jesus promises, moved by the hope of relief from recurring thirst and the burden of daily return to the well.
Her request is still shaped by practical concerns. She thinks of freedom from physical labor, social exposure, and routine hardship. Yet beneath this practical desire lies something deeper: a longing for a different kind of life. Without fully realizing it, she begins to ask for transformation.
The title “Sir” again signals growing respect. The woman has not yet recognized Jesus’ full identity, but she trusts His words enough to ask. Grace is already at work. Desire precedes understanding. Jesus allows this incomplete request because it opens the heart to truth.
This verse marks an important spiritual threshold. The woman moves from questioning Jesus to asking Him for what He offers. This is the beginning of conversion. Even when motives are mixed, a sincere request invites deeper revelation.
For believers, this verse affirms that God responds to imperfect prayer. We often ask God for relief rather than renewal, for convenience rather than conversion. Yet Christ receives our asking and leads it toward fuller truth and deeper life.
Historical and Jewish Context
Drawing water was a daily necessity, often a heavy task. For a woman coming at noon, the labor likely carried social and emotional weight. Her request reflects real fatigue as well as hope.
Catholic Theological Perspective
The Church teaches that prayer begins with desire. Even when our understanding is incomplete, sincere asking disposes the heart to receive grace and truth from God (cf. CCC 2559, 2560).
Key Terms
Sir — growing openness
Give me — awakening desire
This water — sought grace
Keep coming — burdened routine
Conclusion
John 4:15 shows that conversion begins with desire. The woman’s imperfect request becomes the doorway through which deeper truth and healing will enter.
Reflection
What do I truly seek when I pray—for relief from difficulty, or for the deeper life Christ longs to give me?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I come to You with my needs and limitations. Receive my imperfect prayers. Deepen my desire beyond convenience and comfort, and lead me into the fullness of life You promise. Amen.
CONCLUSION
For believers today, John 4:7–15 reveals Jesus as the source of true and lasting satisfaction. Human life is marked by many forms of thirst—longing for meaning, love, forgiveness, and hope. Jesus does not dismiss these desires; He fulfills them by offering Himself. The living water He gives is not temporary relief but a life-giving presence that renews from within.
At the same time, this passage teaches how faith grows gradually. The Samaritan woman does not immediately understand, yet she listens and responds. Jesus meets her where she is and gently elevates her desire. Christian faith often begins with practical concerns, but it matures into a deeper hunger for God. To accept the living water is to allow Christ to transform our inner life, so that what we receive becomes a source of life for others as well.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You know the thirst of every human heart. Give us the living water that only You can provide. Free us from seeking satisfaction in what cannot endure, and awaken in us a deeper desire for eternal life. May Your Spirit become a spring within us, renewing our hearts and drawing us closer to the Father. Teach us to receive Your gift with faith and gratitude, and to live from the life You give. Amen.