Saint Norbert, Bishop (Optional Memorial)
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst . . . for they will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)
Imagine you’ve been wandering for a long time in a hot, dry desert. Then you spot a well in the distance. You’re not sure if there’s water in it, but that doesn’t matter. Desperate, you sprint toward it with all the strength you can muster. That’s what real thirst looks like.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about another kind of thirst—spiritual thirst. But rather than comparing the spiritually thirsty to someone desperately trudging through a desert, he calls them “blessed” (Matthew 5:6). They are happy—which is what the Greek word here, makarios, means. These thirsty people are actually in a good place. But how can that be?
The truth is, we all have a spiritual thirst that only God can satisfy. Whether we recognize it or not, we all long to be close to him and to be filled with his life and his love. Jesus knows this too. That’s why he offered the Samaritan woman at the well a taste of his own “living water” (John 4:10). He knew that the fulfillment she had been trying to find in her many marriages could come only from him. It’s also why he had such a long conversation with her; he wanted her to recognize her thirst.
Jesus is always ready to give us a drink. He is eager to fill us with his living water. But as he did for the Samaritan woman, he waits for us to recognize how thirsty we are. Many health experts urge us to drink plenty of water—as much as a full gallon a day! We shouldn’t wait until we feel parched and thirsty. We should just keep drinking. That’s exactly how it is with Jesus. We always need his living water, whether we feel it or not.
Don’t worry about drinking too much either. If you go to the Lord and say, “I am thirsty,” he won’t reject you. Quite the opposite; he’ll rejoice! He loves filling us up; he loves refreshing our spirits; he loves keeping us spiritually healthy. So go ahead, and drink up!
“Jesus, I thirst for you. Come, Lord, and give me your living water.”
1 Kings 17:1-6
Psalm 121:1-8
Daily Marriage Tip for June 6, 2016:
What does your spouse need from you today? Take the time to ask your spouse what he or she needs from you, whether it be an affirmation of love, the completion of a daily task, etc.