Jesus and the Woman of Samaria (John 4:1–42): an encounter of desires. Remarks on the Super Evangelium S. Ioannis Lectura of St. Thomas Aquinas

Abstract

Among the biblical texts being commented on, St. Thomas Aquinas also leans towards the Gospel of St. John. The passage that serves as the basis for this article discusses Jesus’ encounter with the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well. It builds on chapter four of Thomas’ commentary on Super Evangelium S. Ioannis Lectura (John 4:1–42; nn. 549–663). The biblical text is read in the context of divine and human desires: the desire for the salvation of all people, reciprocal love, the gift of grace of the Holy Spirit, purification from entanglement in sin, knowledge of the truth about God and oneself. Through the gift of grace of the Holy Spirit, namely “living water”, a human being can grow in true desires and purify his heart from entanglement in passions and sinful lusts. The whole vast subject of human affections and desires, which finds its systematic development in the texts of the Summa Theologiae or De veritate, holds a well-established biblical foundation. Moreover, the exegesis of Thomas anchors its future potential of theology and anthropology of affections in biblical metaphors and the spiritual sense.