Commemorated the 5th Sunday after Pascha

May 14th, 2023

The fifth Sunday after Holy Pascha, the Orthodox Church designates as the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman. This day commemorates the encounter of Christ with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well which is the biblical story of the dialog between Christ and the woman is found in the Gospel of St John 4:5-42. I will share a little more about the significance of this Sunday, who is the woman at the well (spoiler alert: her name is Photini), and some activities, reading suggestions, and other ways to engage with your children to help them learn more about this day!

Scroll to learn more about this feast, including activity suggestions for kids and reading/book suggestions

Read more about the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman:

From the Synaxarion : Since on this Sunday Christ openly confesses Himself to be the Messiah, which means “Christ” or “the anointed one” (for messa is the Hebrew word for oil), for this reason, the present feast is placed in the week of Mid-Pentecost; and also because, on the previous Sunday, Christ wrought a miracle at the Sheep’s Pool. On this Sunday, He works a miracle at Jacob’s well, which Jacob himself dug and bestowed upon his son Joseph.

Jesus came to Sichar and sat down at about the sixth hour of the day. A certain woman came from the city to draw water, the Disciples having gone to purchase food. Jesus asked her for water, but she excused herself by saying that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (St. John 4:9); for she knew who He was, both by His accent and by His apparel. Jesus raised their conversation to a higher level by introducing the idea of spiritual water, which connotes abundance and cleansing power, since the Spirit is always likened to water and fire. The woman was sure, from the fact that He had not brought a bucket, that He did not have such water, and added that the well was deep. She then went on to talk about their forefather Jacob, saying that he had dug the well and that he and his children had drunk from it, commending the rich resources of the well, and also its usefulness and the coolness of its water. Christ, however, did not say that He was greater than Jacob, so as not to frighten the woman, but again He spoke about the water, thus proving His superiority; for one who drank from that water, He said, would in no wise be thirsty.

The woman asked for this water, but He told her to call her husband, since His words needed to be more firmly understood. She denied that she had a husband. Jesus, knowing all things, replied: “Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands,” which the Law forbiddeth, and the sixth whom thou now hast, since thou livest with him unlawfully, “is not thy husband” (St. John 4:17-18). The woman replied to Him, calling Him a Prophet. The woman then said: “We have heard from the Scriptures that the Messiah cometh Who is the Christ” (St. John 4:25). Jesus, foreknowing the woman’s gratitude, said: “I am He.” The Samaritans, too, knew about the Messiah from the books of Moses, especially from the verse, “The Lord God shall raise up a Prophet for you” (Deuteronomy 18:15), and many others. At the conclusion of this conversation, the Disciples returned and were amazed at Christ’s extreme condescension in talking with a woman. In the meantime, they besought Him to eat, both because of His weariness and on account of the heat of the day. But He spoke to them about eternal food, namely, the salvation of mankind and how they needed to harvest the labors of the Prophets.

Who is the woman at the well?

Her name is not just “the woman at the well.” She has a name, and because of Holy Tradition, her name as been preserved throughout the centuries. The woman in question, the Samaritan woman, is named Photini by Christ Himself. But her story does not end there at the well. She went on to be an incredible Saint, and one who endured much suffering for the sake of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis, Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. After many hardships and tortures of which her flesh was scraped, her breasts were cut off, her hands were crushed, fine reeds were inserted under her fingernails, she was forced to swallow molten lead; she suffered countless other torments, and received the crown of martyrdom. Holy Saint Photini, pray unto God for us!

Kontakion (Hymn):

Activities for kids:

• Listen to the story told for kids by Let Us Attend (4 mins)

• Listen to the Song about St Photini by Gigi Baba Shadid (4 mins)

• Create “living waters” with this fun experiment from Creating a Great Day using alkasetlzer tablets and discussion questions

• Color the Icon of the Story + Explanation of the Icon by Antiochian Archdiocese

• Listen to the Saint of the Day by Ancient Faith (1 min)

For Older Kids:

• Listen to Homily “The Samaritan Woman at the Well” in Speaking the Truth in Love by Fr. Thomas Hopko who looks at the Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Pascha—a miraculous sign that at first glance doesn't seem to involve a miracle.

Book Recommendations:

• Saint Photini – The Samaritan Woman - #108 Paterikon for Kids by Potamitis Press

• 101 Orthodox Saints by Ancient Faith Publishing (page 93)

• Christina’s True Heroes by Maria Khoury which includes a chapter titled Saint Photini

• Read the story from the Bible (John 4:5-42)

I hope you have a blessed Lord’s Day with your family!

-Khouria Destinie