On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.”
The man who spoke these words went on to cry out, on a certain Friday afternoon as he hung from a cross, “I thirst!” This was more than a request for the meager sip of sour wine he was to receive. It was a confession of the raging thirst for righteousness that consumed the Son of God and drove him to drink the cup of suffering for our sake. The next time you receive the cup in Eucharist, thank Jesus that it was his thirst for the living God that made it possible for your thirst to be quenched.
Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.
