From His cross, Jesus utters in agony, “I thirst” (see Jn 19:28). Elsewhere in St. John’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well, “Give Me a drink” (Jn 4:7). Interestingly, the text of John 4 never mentions Jesus getting a drink of actual water from the woman. Yet John 4 ends with Jesus apparently no longer thirsty, because the woman receives Him; her faith provided the drink for which Jesus thirsted.

Today’s psalm response is from Psalm 119:103, the verse highlighted above: “How sweet to my taste is Your promise.” The psalmist tells the Lord that the promises of God, as written down in the law of Moses in the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, are sweet to his taste. However, I invite you to consider today’s psalm response as coming from the mouth of the crucified Jesus. He is hanging in utter agony upon His cross, and He speaks, saying “I thirst” (see Jn 19:28). He has come to light a fire on earth, and He wishes the blaze were ignited (Lk 12:49). When we fulfill our promises to Jesus, such as renewing our baptismal promises, our promises in the sacraments, and our promise to spend our lives in His service, we are giving Him a drink (see Jn 4:7). This is what Jesus thirsts for, and this is the honey on His tongue. It is as if the crucified Jesus is saying to us: “How sweet to My taste is your promise.” Give Jesus a drink. Promise to spend your life spreading His Good News to the world.

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