WE THIRST
Have
you ever thought about defining discipleship for yourself? How do we truly
follow Jesus Christ every day of our lives?
Looking into this deeper
maybe you and I could put our own profession of faith in writing. Jesus defines
discipleship when He says, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk 9:23). The seriousness
and depth of such self-sacrifice is brought home by the fact that Jesus says
these words as He is about to begin His final journey to Jerusalem, and to His
own Cross.
Jesus certainly found human
comfort from the trust and delight He enjoyed from His Father. “This is My
beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22b). Secure in this exchange of
love, He embraced any task, including the tall order of the mission of being
“the Christ of God” (Lk 9:20). His true identity, however, is not so clear to
the disciples around Him. When Jesus asks His closest friends to define Who He
is by asking, “Who do you say that I am” (Lk 9:19)? It is only Peter who responds
boldly with the perfect answer, “The Christ of God.” It is only then that Jesus
begins to explain to His disciples what His mission as “the Christ of God” is
all about. It’s not about being served, having power, or a seat of honor.
Rather, it entails suffering, rejection, execution, and only afterwards, great
victory! What is our identity? Do we thirst?
In our Responsorial Psalm we
acclaim, “My soul is thirsting for You, O Lord my God” (Ps 63:2b). We will
thirst for the Lord and will be satisfied “as with the riches of a banquet” (Ps
63:6). Each of us has a desire for God, a thirsting in our body and in the
deepest part of our souls for the waters of life, which alone can bring peace
and healing. Running water in the midst of the desert brings light, freshness,
and streams of delight to a dry and rocky ground. Lord, may we long for You,
trust You, and rest in You always.
Jesus is the Christ of God
and we, knowing ourselves to be children of God, are called to follow and
believe in Him. St. Paul tells us that we come to a deeper understanding of who
we are and find our true identity through our identity as baptized Christians,
who have been clothed with Christ!
Increase our thirst, Lord,
that we may intensify our search for the fountain of life!