“The Thirst of Jesus”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
March 23-24, 2019
When Jesus arrived at the well, He was weary and thirsty. A woman was also at the well drawing water even though it was the hottest part of the day. She was an adulterous and, because of her shame, avoided the other women…she was a social outcast. Jesus asked the woman for some water. The woman was a Samaritan, and she was shocked that He, a Jew, would dare speak to her. Christ already knew about the woman’s sinful and unhappy life. He pointed out to her that she had been married five times and was living with a sixth man. She had sought peace and happiness that the things of this world cannot provide. She hadn’t found anyone or anything to satisfy the deep longing of her heart until she met Jesus.
We don’t know if Christ ever received the water He had requested from her…however, His real thirst was for this woman’s salvation. Even when the apostles returned with food, He was more intent on doing God’s will than satisfying His hunger. After meeting Jesus, the woman left her water pot at the well and began spreading the gospel with great zeal. She was the first evangelist and led many to Christ. Saint Photina was martyred for her efforts.
What is the price of a soul…Catholic or not? Each person is made in the image of God. Christ died to save us all. He came for the forgotten and the marginalized. The woman at the well was a floozy…an outcast. Nobody wanted to be around her. But, Our Lord came for her too. He wanted her to enter paradise. No soul is so marred by sin that He doesn’t seek its salvation.
By virtue of our baptism, we are all called to evangelize. We are called to lead souls to Him…to seek to save what is lost. How do we approach people? Well, we don’t do it by telling them what to do…nobody likes that. We also don’t talk down to them…they will put up walls. We do what Jesus did…we tell them the truth. Tell them your story and what God’s salvation has done in your life. Sometimes, people like to play “Stump the Priest” with me. They’ll ask where things are in the bible. These folks are just evading the truth. But, our only responsibility is for making the effort…for planting the seed. The result is out of our hands.
Saint Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower, was a cloistered nun in France. She once prayed fervently for a condemned prisoner who stubbornly resisted God’s love. He basically told the priest to “stuff it.” But, Saint Therese continued to pray in earnest, cloistered inside her convent, for the condemned man. Right before he was executed, the prisoner cried out for the cross and kissed the crucifix. Is that man in heaven? We do not know. The point is that we are not limited by time and place. We do not have to be face-to-face with the people we are trying to reach. Like Saint Therese, we can offer up our prayers and sacrifices for those who are lost.
While I was serving in Iraq, I took a 2-hour drive north to the town of Baja. It was a cool 136 degrees outside, and the military vehicle I was riding in did not have air conditioning. To make the trip even more fun, we encountered a sand storm on the way. But…there were souls to save….soldiers who needed God’s salvation. We cannot allow minor inconveniences prevent us from spreading His love.
Sometimes a bit of street cred helps me reach people that those without it cannot. When I’m working at the VA Hospital, I wear a 101st Air Born patch that was given to me. And, if that doesn’t work, I rely on drugs. When a patient tells me they don’t want last rites, I just wait until the drug cart has left the patient’s room. It’s amazing how a little morphine changes a patient’s outlook and response.
Priests receive training to prepare them to visit hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. Although they don’t like it, they go. Nobody likes going to the hospital…there’s a lot of yuck. It’s the same with prisons…nobody wants to go. However, this is exactly what we are called to do:
35) For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36) naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Matthew 25:35-36
How will you apply this message to your life? God thirsts for our love and faith. He wants us to bring that faith and love to others. Will you quench His thirst by telling people your story of salvation? Will you love Him in your neighbor and in those people He places in your life?