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I Thirst


“I thirst” (John 19:28) 
An article by Cara Ruegg

image by kevron2001



Our Lord thirst. He thirst physically and He thirst for souls, for our souls, yours, mine, for those souls you might dislike or even hate. He thirst for us. 

There are so many different types of thirsts. One of the most relatable is a thirst for what we desire. We thirst for love, a family. We have this ideal picture in our head of how we want our life to be. We thirst for money and fame. We misidentify our thirsts and go after things that give no satisfaction and may even be sinful. We don’t realize the only water that will quench our burning throats is God. It is not a child for the barren; a spouse for the lonely; a job for the homeless. It is God. He is the only love, the only companion, the only purpose that will fully satisfy us. These finite things we go after we go after only because they reflect in some way God. We see God in the kindness and attentions we might receive from a loved one; we see God in the satisfaction of a duty well done. Nature was perceived so beautiful by saints such as Francis of Assisi and Therese of Lisieux not simply because of the variable colors of the flowers, but because its beauty reminded them of God. 

We need to stop going after these finite things as if they were our end, because if we don’t cease chasing the speckled dots of sunlight when it is really the sun that we should be after, the warmth that we gain will be temporary and ultimately unsatisfactory. God is our end. These specks of light are meant to turn our attention to the sun in the sky, to Him. He thirst for us, He loves us with a love that is infinite. A child, a spouse, a friend can never give us that love we desire since they are only finite, imperfect, limited beings. God alone can love us with a limitless love, can give us a purpose, a peace that will be true and lasting. 

Today, Good Friday, let us turn our gaze upon the wounded, bleeding Christ that thirst for us and let us, in turn, thirst for Him. 


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