INTRODUCTION
Have you ever wondered why the Holy Bible began with Water Motif and also ended with it? (Gen 1:2, “and the earth was without form and void;and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" And Rev 22:1, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb). This is to show us the importance of water both in the Physical and spiritual circle. And we can see this depicted in all areas such as creation of things,The Holy Spirit related with water, the Healing Stream from the Altar of Ezekiel 47,the use of water to destroy the earth of Genesis 7, the use of water as a means of Movement to a new land of victory during the Passover of 14 and the expression of love, hunger and desire for a relationship between God and man expressed in the context of our reflection today.
Permit me to say something about love which is connected with the subject matter. This is because everything God did for Us through Jesus Christ is an expression of Ultimate Love. (Jn 3:16, “For God so loved the World that He gave his only begotten Son.. "). Love according to St. Teresa of Avila does not consist in great sweetness of devotion but in fervent determination to strive to please God in all things, in avoiding as far as possible all that would offend God and in praying for the increase of the glory an honor of his Son and the growth of the Church.
Until we know deep inside of us that Jesus thirst for us, we won't begin to know who He wants to be us or who He wants us to be for him. Our problem is that we are yet to realize that God loves Us, cherishes and treasures us.
THE CONCEPT OF THIRST
Thirst on the normal palace can be defined as a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a desire for a liquid, a strong craving for potable fluid.
I want to divide Thirst into Two Dimensions: Physical and Spiritual.
Physical talks about the longing for water to fill the thirst which can be caused by Dehydration, Heat Exhaustion, Sickness such as Anaemia, Diabetes, Diarrhoea and Hyperglycemia.
Spiritual talks about the dryness we experience due to lack of water of life, the person of Jesus and The Holy Spirit in our lives. For the program ww have our main concern is on the Spiritual Thirst.
SPIRITUAL THIRST
I can say it is a strong desire for an intimacy or relationship with God. St. Augustine said,“Lord,you have made Us for yourself and our hearts shall not rest until they rest in you". This means we are not complete unless in Jesus. (Colosians 2:10).
Jesus met the Woman of Samaria at the well of Jacob and asked her for a drink. (Jn 4). In John 19:29, Jesus while He was hanging on the Cross cried out, “I THIRST "
SPIRITUAL THIRST CAN BE SEEN FROM TWO DIMENSIONS.
God thirsts for Us. (Jn 19:29)
We thirst for God. (Jn 7:37; Ps 42:1-2)
St. Augustine speaking on this said, “Deus Sitit Sitiri" Meaning that God thirst to be thirsted for. Reality Therapy of Psychology has it that “the desire of every man is to love and be loved". This means that When Jesus said I Thirst, what he is saying is, I love you and I want you to love me, I want a relationship with you. But what do we do anytime this word comes to Us, we behave like the Soldiers that crucified Jesus who gave him Vinegar instead of water. Vinegar is a drink that has a sour taste. The concept of sour signifies something that is unpleasant, distasteful, decay, decomposed, unfriendly, uncaring, not giving pleasure, falling short of the standard, what started well but now has gone sour. This means we give Jesus our lives and hearts, family, business and whatever we have that is characterized by all the aforementioned qualities.
The essence of Jesus coming to take our human form (Jn 1:14) is to take us from that level of deprivation to elevation.
GOD THIRST FOR YOU IN JESUS.
We see In this Lenten Period the longing of Jesus as he thirst for Us and is still thirsting. Rev 3:20 says, “I stand at the door of your heart, knocking, if you open the door, I will come in and dine with you so that the kind of Love my Father has for me, I will also love you the same way ".
Jere 31:3, “ I have loved you with an everlasting Love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn Thee".Even when we are not giving him any attention because we seem to be busy with a lot of things, He is still thirsting for Us. Jesus desires a relationship with Us. Our Catechism said that God created Us to know Him, love him and serve him in this World so as to be happy with him in eternity". “To Know" here is like a relationship that exist between a man and wife, intimacy. God knows we are going through a lot of things, that is why He is knocking yo help us, because at this moment, we can't help ourselves. He is thirsting for you to carry that pains, heartbreak, difficulties. He wants to change and transform us to that person we have desired.
One thing I want you to know is that Jesus knows all you are going through, the struggle over that addition, sin, weakness, your past mistakes and error and irrespective of that, He is still thirsting. He doesn't want us to be good before coming to him, but to come to him with those baggages, just as you are. (Remember the Song,.. JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA). Jesus thirsts to touch Us so that our innocence, what we have lost will be restored. He wants to give us strength for the journey just as he gave to Elijah. Many have been rejected, humiliated, disappointed, abandoned and despised, and we fill the emptiness with a lot of things. He thirsts to fill that emptiness, and he knows what you are going through right now. He is thirsting for you at the Tabernacle, in the Holy Eucharist, in His word, in the Community of Brethren and in your heart. You may be saying, but I have done this or that. Yes, that is why He is still on the Cross saying, I Thirst for You.
WE THIRST FOR GOD.
Jn 7:37, “Come to me all you are thirsty and I will satisfy you and fill you ".We have different things we are thirsty for: to be cherished, loved and desired,even when people have treated us like outcasts,God is the only one that can fill those thiirst. In Isa 43:4, “You are Precious in my sight, I have made you honorable and loved you and will do anything for you even if I have to give up nations and men for your sake".
We thirst for mercy, healing of our brokenness, failure, shame and reproach, Jesus is on the Cross to heal Us. Every step he makes especially On the road to Calvary is for our Healing. He is at the Eucharist, telling you that “By My stripes, you are healed".(Isa 53:5). Do we thirst for divine providence, are you afraid of what the future will be for you,marriage,academics,exams,job? Jesus is telling you to come to him, He knows his plan for you to give you a future that you will be happy with. (Jere 29:11).
Are you tired of that sin that you are crying Can God forgive me? Yes, He is asking you to come. There is no sin to big that the Blood of Jesus cannot wipe away. (Isa 1:16-20). Are you always unhappy because you are not where you are to be either because you are not married, have been failing in all you do, things are not working out for you, people are disappointing you. That Jesus who is hanging on the Cross is still calling out for you to Come with that thirst.
I will want to end with This quote from In Sinu Jesus...
“There is nothing that I will not do for those who approach me in the Sacrament of my Love. Look at me here I am vulnerable, exposed, hidden and yet entirely delivered over to you. The Eucharist is the invention of My Love and nothing surpasses it in all my works. The Eucharist is more than creation itself, it is the crown of my work of redemption in this world and a foretaste of the glory that I have prepared for those that who love me in the next. If souls understand what treasures of love are freely given to those who approach me in the Sacrament of My love, my Churches would be filled day and night and unable to contain the multitudes drawn to them".
Jesus has made himself available in the Holy Eucharist, In his Word and the prayers of the Church to quench our different Thirst.
God bless you.
Rev. Chinedu Ubani.
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