An Archbishop in Paris started his homily by sharing a rather strange story: A group of boys came to Notre Dame Cathedral a few years ago, and stood outside the confessional, betting who was brave enough to make a mock confession. One of them took up the challenge, and confessed some of the most heinous sins that a man could ever do. Before granting absolution, the confessor gave him a penance: “Go in front of the Crucifix, look at the Lord, and say: ‘Lord, you died for me, but I didn’t even care!’” As the boy, quite indifferently, repeated those words, he saw that the bleeding face of Christ on the crucifix was beginning to tear up. Still in shock, the boy uttered: “Lord, you died for me, but I didn’t even care. Sorry!” He then returned to the priest and shared what happened, and the priest helped him make a proper confession. The Archbishop concluded by saying: “I’m that boy!”
God is looking for you even when you want to run away from Him. He searches for you so that you may search for Him. While we may be familiar with our search or thirst for God as one aspect of prayer, we forget God’s thirst for us. God desires us more than we desire Him, and He waits patiently for us to reach out to Him. He is inviting each one of us to His banquet of love.
“I thirst” (John 19:28)—this is the shortest of the seven cries of Christ at Calvary. These two words point to the extreme yearning of Christ for souls. Saint Teresa of Calcutta has deeply meditated on Christ’s spiritual thirst for humanity: “He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. When you are not accepted by others or even by yourself sometimes, He is the one who always accepts you.” When you give yourself to Him with all your unworthiness, you give Him the joy of being your Savior.
In the story above, Jesus actually waited at the confessional to convert the young boy even though all he wanted was to mock Him. All we need to do is to allow Him to seek us, find us, and care for us with His tenderness. Nothing can adequately satisfy His thirst except the heart of every person who is made for Him, and hence our hearts can never be joyful until we find our rest in Him. Will you let Him love you today, my friend?
The Creator’s quest for the creature is astonishing yet real. The thirst for the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son is His thirst for each one of us. The shepherd is lonely without his sheep. The unfortunate woman longs for the lost coin. The father feels so lonely in the absence of his prodigal son. So also, the creator cannot live without the creature—that’s you! We do not have the capacity to love as much as He does. Therefore we can never miss His love as much when it is denied to us.
God’s thirst to be loved is not for Himself but for us to be fulfilled in life. God thirsts for your soul, not because your soul is pure or holy, but because you are empty and void without Him. Be open. At every confessional, the Lord patiently waits and searches for souls. Will you let Him find and heal you today, my friend? The confessional is a reset button! “There shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that repents, more than upon ninety-nine just, who need no repentance” (Luke 15: 7).
Loving Lord, help me to reflect upon Your thirst for me so that I may turn to You every moment and satiate Your thirst. Amen.
