Genesis 24:15

"Rebekah," it says, "was coming with the daughters of the city to draw water from the well." Rebekah came daily to the wells, daily she drew water. And because she was daily free to be at the wells, therefore she could be found by Abraham's servant and joined in marriage to Isaac. Do you suppose these are fables, and that the Holy Spirit is narrating mere histories in the Scriptures? This is the instruction of souls and spiritual teaching, which trains you and teaches you to come daily to the wells of the Scriptures, to the waters of the Holy Spirit, and always to draw and carry home a full vessel, just as holy Rebekah also did, who could not otherwise have been joined to so great a Patriarch as Isaac, who "was born of promise," except by drawing waters, and by drawing them in such abundance that she could give drink not only to those who were at home, but also to Abraham's servant — and not only to the servant, but that she abounded so far in the waters she drew from the wells that she could also water the camels, "until," it says, "they left off drinking." All the things that are written are mysteries: Christ too wishes to betroth you to himself; for he speaks to you through the prophets, saying: "I will betroth you to myself forever, and I will betroth you to myself in faith and in mercy, and you shall know the Lord." Because, therefore, he wishes to betroth you to himself, he sends this servant ahead to you. This servant is the prophetic word, which, unless you first receive it, you will not be able to be wedded to Christ. Know, however, that no one untrained and unskilled receives the prophetic word, but only one who knows how to draw water from the depth of the well and who knows how to draw it in such abundance that it suffices even for those who seem irrational and perverse, whose figure the camels bear — so that he too may be able to say that "I am a debtor to the wise and to the unwise." Indeed, this servant had thus spoken in his heart: "of these virgins," he says, "who come to the water, whichever shall say to me, 'Drink, and I will water your camels,' she it is who shall be the bride of my lord." So then Rebekah, whose name means patience, when she saw the servant and beheld the prophetic word, "lets down" the "water-jar" from her shoulder. For she lets down the lofty arrogance of Greek eloquence, and, inclining herself to the humble and simple prophetic word, she says: "Drink, and I will water your camels."

But perhaps you say: if the servant bears the figure of the prophetic word, how is he given drink by Rebekah, whom he himself ought rather to give drink to? Consider, then, whether perhaps, just as the Lord Jesus also — although he himself is the "bread of life" and himself feeds hungering souls — himself again confesses that he hungers, when he says, "I hungered, and you gave me to eat," and again, although he himself is "living water" and gives drink to all who thirst, himself again says to the Samaritan woman, "Give me to drink" — so also the prophetic word, although it itself gives drink to those who thirst, is nevertheless itself said to be given drink by these, when it receives the exercises and vigils of the diligent. This soul, then, such a one, which does all things patiently, which is so ready and supported by such great learning, which has been accustomed to draw the streams of knowledge from the depths — this soul can be united in the marriage of Christ. Unless, therefore, you come daily to the wells, unless you daily draw waters, not only will you be unable to give others to drink, but you yourself also will suffer "thirst for the word of God." Hear the Lord too saying in the Gospels: "Let him who thirsts come and drink." But you, as I see, "neither hunger nor thirst for righteousness"; and how will you be able to say: "As the deer longs for the fountains of waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before his face?"

Now, dearly beloved, let us briefly see, as far as we can, what these facts mean. When blessed Abraham directed his servant to take a wife for his son, he portrayed an image of God the Father. Just as when he offered the boy as a burnt offering, he then presented an image of God the Father, so also his servant signified the words of prophecy. For this reason Abraham sent his servant into a distant land to take a wife for his son, because God the Father intended to send his prophetic word throughout the world to search for the Catholic church as a spouse for his only-begotten Son. Just as through Abraham's servant a bride is brought for blessed Isaac, so by his prophetic word the church of the Gentiles is invited to Christ the true bridegroom from distant lands. But where is found that spouse who was to be joined to Christ? Where, unless near the water? It is true, dearly beloved: If the church had not come to the waters of baptism, it would not have been joined to Christ. For this reason Rebekah found Abraham's servant at the well, and the church finds Christ at the sacrament of baptism.