I Thirst

He is Risen! Alleluia!

Last week I was very blessed to be able to attend the Good Friday Liturgy at Westminster Abbey in Mission, BC. Right before the Liturgy started, I was suddenly very hungry and thirsty. I had only drinken a small glass of water prior and after getting accustomed to a regime of eating every few hours, fasting was something I was definitely not used to. This hunger and thirst made me feel so tired but I couldn’t sit down because the church was full. I started praying that I would be able to ignore the pangs and focus on the Liturgy when I realized that this is how Jesus must have felt. Of course I can hardly compare my small pain and thirst to His great one, but I got a minuscule taste of what he felt when He said: “I thirst.”

I first came across these words while I was going through 33 Days to Morning Glory. These 2 words, though simple, have so much meaning.

Why does Jesus say “I Thirst”? What does it mean? . . . If you remember anything from Mother’s letter, remember this—‘I Thirst’ is something much deeper than just Jesus saying ‘I love you.’ Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you—you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him

At this most difficult time He proclaimed, ‘I thirst.’ And people thought He was thirsty in an ordinary way and they gave Him vinegar straight away; but it was not for that thirst; it was for our love, our affection, that intimate attachment to Him, and that sharing of His passion. He used, ‘I thirst,’ instead of ‘Give Me your love’… ‘I thirst.’ Let us hear Him saying it to me and saying it to you.

(excerpt from Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire by Joseph Langford)

Imagine how many billion people are on Earth right now and how many don’t know God or have ignored the fact that the reason we celebrate Easter is because our Savior has conquered sin and death. Even after knowing that, imagine how many of us, who are on our journey with Christ, turn away from our personal relationship with Him time and time again; it’s no wonder Jesus thirsts. Despite that, He never fails to love us unconditionally, and He reminds us of that every time Easter rolls around.

With this new Easter season, may we allow Jesus’ death and resurrection to remind us that we are loved immensely, that He constantly craves our love, and that we (and everyone around us) will forever need His love.

Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing me to experience even just a fraction of your hunger and thirst. Please use me so that I may be able to help satiate your thirst and the thirst of those who long to know you. Amen.