"give me a drink" (jn 4:7)
"My soul longs for You, O God. Athirst is my soul for God, the living God." —Psalm 42:2-3
The homilist at today's Mass related a story from his visit to Rome. The huge baptistry at the Lateran Basilica features a large statue of a deer, bent toward the Baptismal font, longing for a drink from the waters of Baptism (see Ps 42:2ff). In their own way, the deer, and all God's creatures, are thirsty for God's living waters.
Jesus is also thirsty. From the cross, He groans: "I am thirsty" (see Jn 19:28). To the Samaritan woman, and to each of us, Jesus asks: "Give Me a drink" (Jn 4:7). He thirsts for all to drink from the waters of Baptism, the "fountain of salvation" (Is 12:3), and the rivers of the Holy Spirit (Jn 7:37-38).
God has put a thirst for Himself into every person. The Jews were amazed that the Gentiles should be included in God's plan of salvation (see Acts 11:1ff). Yet the Gentiles thirsted for God and drank fully of the Gospel message. In our evangelization, it is critical to remember that the Lord has placed a thirst for Himself into each person. St. Augustine, an unlikely convert if there ever was one, expressed this thirst by saying: "You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 30). Even the driest bones can come to life upon hearing the Good News of Jesus (Ez 37:1ff), so no one, no matter how hardened, will ever stop thirsting for God. Therefore, keep proclaiming the message of Jesus.
Prayer: Father, by my constant evangelization, may I give Jesus and His thirsty people a drink.
Promise: "As I began to address them the Holy Spirit came upon them, just as it had upon us at the beginning." —Acts 11:15
Praise: At a local parish, a large group of Catholics regularly prays to Our Lady of Fatima each Saturday to observe her requests for regular prayer, reparation, and consecration.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, November 28, 2018
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