In his catechesis prepared for the General Audience on Wednesday, March 26, which has been canceled due to the Pontiff’s convalescence at Casa Santa Marta, the Holy Father exhorts the faithful to never lose hope, suggesting that it is never too late to entrust everything to God and begin our journey anew.

On March 26, 2025, Pope Francis dedicated his General Audience catechesis to the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, a deeply meaningful passage that highlights God’s mercy and unconditional love. In his reflection, the Holy Father explained how this encounter, narrated in the Gospel of John (4:5-26), is not only a dialogue between Jesus and a woman rejected by her community, but also an example of how the Lord awaits us in the most unexpected moments of our lives, offering us hope and reconciliation.

Jesus awaits us at the crossroads of our lives

The Pope began his catechesis by highlighting the importance of the encounters we have with Jesus, moments in which the Lord seems to be waiting for us precisely at those crossroads where we need him most. The Samaritan woman meets Jesus at a well, in the middle of the day, a moment when one would not normally expect to meet anyone, especially someone who could change her life.

This woman, isolated and ashamed of her life, probably did not expect to find someone willing to listen and understand her. Jesus, however, passes through Samaria, a land marked by tensions between Jews and Samaritans, and stops at the well to offer her not only water, but the possibility of a new life, of renewed hope.

Jesus’s Desire for Our Salvation

In his encounter with the Samaritan woman, Jesus begins the dialogue with a simple request: “Dammi da bere!” (“Give me a drink!”). Through this request, Pope Francis reminds us that Jesus is not only physically thirsty, but that his deepest desire is for this woman’s salvation. In this way, the Lord shows himself vulnerable, opening the space for dialogue and reflection.

Jesus’s desire for our salvation is a key theme in this encounter. Pope Francis quoted Saint Augustine, who stated that “whoever asked for water was thirsting for this woman’s faith.” This act of humility, of asking for help, is the gateway to a deeper revelation, that of his identity as the Messiah.

A New Vision of Life

By speaking with the woman, Jesus not only reveals who He is, but also illuminates her life, inviting her to see her story differently. The woman, who had had several husbands and was with another man without being married, experiences a kind of “light” that allows her to review her life and recognize that only Jesus can satisfy her desire for true love.

This moment of revelation not only transforms the Samaritan woman’s life, but also opens a new path for her mission. After this encounter, she runs to tell others about what she has experienced, sharing the experience of being loved and understood, a mission that arises from her personal experience of divine mercy.

Depending on God’s Mercy

The Pope concluded his catechesis by highlighting the importance of “laying the weight of our history” at Jesus’ feet, as the Samaritan woman left her water jar at the well. Only when we reconcile ourselves with our past and surrender our sufferings to God are we able to bring the Gospel to others. The Samaritan woman, freed from the burden of her former life, becomes a beacon of hope and a witness to Christ’s transforming love.

“Dear brothers and sisters, let us not lose hope,” the Pope encouraged. “Even when our history seems heavy, complicated, or broken, we always have the possibility of surrendering it to God and starting anew.” God’s mercy is always present, waiting for us to seek Him and recognize ourselves in Him, renewing our life and our mission.

This encounter with the Samaritan woman is a clear reminder that God’s mercy knows no bounds and always awaits us in the most unlikely moments of our lives. As the Pope teaches us, “God is mercy and always awaits us.”