All You Who Thirst

Thus says the Lord – there is an invitation in the first reading that only God can make – He is inviting a very particular group – are you in that group? – in that group is all you who are thirsty – He doesn’t say all you who are worthy, all you who are disciplined, all you who are strong, intelligent, all you who are learned, all you who are virtuous, holy – He says, ‘All you who are thirsty” –so those are the ones that are invited – what are they invited to? – it is those who are thirsty – not satisfied – seeking something desperately – one thing this is revealing to us – it isn’t a good thing to be thirsty – it is painful – this reading is an invitation for those who are thirsty – so there is even an advantage of dissatisfaction that we can feel – it seems like often the Lord intensifies our dissatisfaction – our thirst is speaking of our deep desires – some desires are selfish – some are sinful – but the deepest desire is from our soul – the desire for justice – for peace and unity and harmony – which is so broken in our society, today – thirst for the truth – thirst for beautiful and joy – a thirst to have a life that is fruitful – to be able to give ourselves to a great cause – a thirst to be loved and to love – there within us is a deep desire placed there by the Holy Spirit – St. Paul spoke of a deep desire, which is so deep that we can’t put into words – it is like a deep sigh or groaning within us – the deepest thirst in us is a thirst for God – even if we don’t always realize it – a lot of times we are focused on other things, but the deepest thirst in our soul is the thirst for God – one psalm,  As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you oh God, my soul thirsts for the living God – when shall I come and behold the face of God – another Psalm says, Oh God, You are my God I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my flesh pines for you, as in a dry weary land without water – here in Texas that lack of water can be life threatening – these words have a lot of resonance – there would be something shocking, when Isaiah proclaimed this prophesy, because prophesy is not just addressed to Israelites, which is what they would have expected, but it is addressed to all who are thirsty, including the pagans – today when there is concern about discrimination and privilege in our society – this invitation is a worldwide invitation – the Encounter with Jesus retreats are for those who are thirsty – if people are not thirsty, the Encounter is not very useful – if they aren’t thirsty, it is like they are too full  receive something new – the question this morning is are you thirsty? – if you are, what should you do, because that is who this is addressed to…all you who are thirsty – it says all you who are thirsty come to the waters – there is a response to your deepest thirst – he who has no money…our poverty is an advantage to us – it says, he who has no money come buy and eat, someone has paid the price for this – goes on to say…come buy wine and milk – now we aren’t just talking about water, we are talking about great wines and rich milk – this represents luxurious – come buy wine and milk without money and without price – so this wine and milk   is priceless and yet we can receive it even without any money – then the Lord asked, “ Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” – “Why are you wasting your money and life for that which does not satisfy?”  – it is an opportunity for us to reflect on what are our priorities – is it what will really satisfy the thirst of our soul – the Lord goes on to give another key indication of what we should do –  first He says to come and then He says listen – really listen –listen to Me and “eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food “ – God wants us to delight in rich abundance – He didn’t make His children to starve – this is a rich response to our deepest hungers and thirsts – what our soul most deeply desires the Lord placed in us – the deepest desires He didn’t place in us for frustration He placed them in us to be richly and abundantly fulfilled – He emphasizes listening – Two things He keeps saying are come and listen – listen and come – hear that your soul may live – He says, “ I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast merciful love for David” – special covenant He made with David – now He is extending it to everyone who is thirsty – it is an everlasting covenant – not relationship like so many human relationships that fall apart – someone who will be faithful forever – the fulfillment of this great prophesy is in Jesus – Jesus says in the Gospel, “If anyone who is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” – Jesus goes on to say that he believes in Him, out of His heart shall flow rivers of living water – and the Gospel goes on to say, He said this about the Holy Spirit, which those who believe in Him were to receive – for as yet the Holy Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified – so it will be when Jesus is crucified on the cross and the blood and water flow out from His heart – the blood and water, which represents the living water of the gift of the Holy Spirit – so that is when He appears to the apostles at His resurrection He says receive the Holy Spirit – and we know the image of Divine Mercy shows red and white rays coming from His heart – then in the book of Revelation…He says, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, to the thirsty, I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment.”  – at the very end of scripture, He says again…to the thirsty I will give the water of life – already here on earth He gives us the Holy Eucharist we celebrating it right now in this Mass – so right now…with the Blessed Mother…He invites us to listen, listeningly (FJM’s word) – let the Holy Spirit intensify the thirst within us – to realize what our soul is trying to tell us – the deepest desire of our heart…Our thirst for God – in this Sacrament the Lord will renew the blood of the new and everlasting covenant that money cannot buy – today as we are going through this difficult time there are many limitations placed on Holy Communion and some of us will be making a Spiritual Communion – we shouldn’t be discouraged, because what is essential  to receive this living water is faith – as we go through these times, which some might not be able to come to Mass and receive our Lord in Holy Communion in a Sacramental way, but by an act of faith we can receive this living water that flows from Jesus Christ by an act of Spiritual Communion – we can do that now or wherever we want – ended by reading Isaiah 55:1-3.