Sep 14 Sat
Let him who thirsts come to me and drink.
In the Eucharist, we come to drink from the waters of God’s fountain. We drink without sating ourselves, for the living spring, the fount and source of life, is calling us: if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
The Lord himself, our God Jesus Christ, is the fountain of life; and he calls us to himself so that we may drink from him. Who will drink? Whoever loves; whoever is filled with the word of God; whoever adores him enough, whoever desires him enough; whoever is on fire with the love of wisdom.
From where does the fountain flow? It comes from the same place that the manna came from in the wilderness – for the same person is both bread and fountain, Christ our Lord and God, for whom we should always hunger.
We may eat and drink of him, but still we will remain hungry and thirsty for more; for he is our food and drink that can never be entirely consumed. He can be eaten but there will always be more left. He can be drunk but he can never be drained dry.
Jesus is the fountain of Wisdom. So, we should desire him, seek him, and love him. If you are desperate and thirsty, drink from the fountain of life; if you are weak and hungry, eat the bread of life. Blessed are they who hunger for that bread and thirst for that fountain.
Look at Jesus crucified. By means of the mystery of the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the cross, which was once carried out on Calvary, is reenacted in the Mass. This sacrifice of our redemption is renewed at each Mass. As often as the sacrifice of the cross in which Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed is celebrated on an altar, the work of our redemption is carried on. In the Mass, we join Jesus in offering himself to God the Father as in Calvary.
Thus, let us atone by making an act of contrition, of compunction. “We ask our Lord's forgiveness for those lashes and thorns, for that Cross, for those nails that bind him to the wood, for that lance which is going to pass through his side, for the gall and vinegar they offer him as consolation, for the mockery, the abuse, the jeers.”
And do not be afraid of giving much to the Lord, for whatever we give to God, we get back in abundance. When we give God our freedom, we are making it possible for him to free us, not only from sin, but from every evil; and He gives us all the goods we are capable to keep.
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