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Jesus once told a Samaritan woman whom he met at a well: “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
No matter who we are, we all thirst for fulfillment. We look to things like family life, success, money, good health, even acts of service to give us a sense of satisfaction. These can be good things, but Jesus tells us that our deepest fulfillment will come only when we drink his living water.
The Samaritan woman could not grasp Jesus’ words. Thinking that Jesus was offering her physical water, she responded eagerly: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty” (John 4:15). So Jesus patiently told her that he was offering a different kind of water, the kind that would bring her complete fulfillment. In the end, she was filled with living water when she accepted Jesus as the Messiah. And once she was filled, she put down her water jar, went into her village, and brought all the townspeople to Jesus.
A Passionate Church. In this issue we want to focus on the kind of passion that moved the Samaritan woman and all the first Christians. We want to see why these people were so dedicated to Jesus and to building the church, even in the face of insurmountable odds. They endured hardship, persecution, and even death, but nothing deterred them. For instance, St. Paul was determined to evangelize people, to develop the doctrines of the faith, and to form the church. He willingly walked away from a bright future as a leading Pharisee and dedicated his life to Christ and his people.
We want to see how Jesus can give us a similar passion for him and his church. He wants us to “go … and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). He wants us to love one another from the heart (John 15:12). And he wants us to know that his grace is fully capable of igniting this passion within each of us.
How can we become this passionate? By drinking Jesus’ living water. He alone is capable of meeting our deepest needs and desires. All we have to do is say, “Jesus I am thirsty for you. I want your living water.”
We will know that this living water has fulfilled us and created a passion in us when we find that we can’t stop thinking about and praising and serving the Lord. We’ll know it when we want to love our family and friends more and ourselves less. We’ll know it when we look at the world, with all of its problems, and say, “Nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37).
Have Some Time to Blog? I wanted to let you know that as of this month, I will be blogging on our Web site a couple of times a week (www.wau.org). Blogging is a great way for us to keep in touch, exchange our views, and have some fun in a different forum. So come visit the site, click on the blog link, and drop me a line.
May God bless you.
Joe Difato, Publisher |
Joe, I have never done any blogging before. I was looking for your blog site. Is this what they call the blog site? I love your letter and though I don’t always get to read all the articles I do make a point to ready what you write. You are very inspirational to me.
It is all about desire isn’t?
Catherine of Siena had a neat paradigm of Desire-Enlightenment-Memories.
Her book “The Dialogue” wonderfully illustrates her path to spirituality.
Joe, I always read your letter when I start each month. Your faith is an inspirtation to me. I try to begin each morning reading the days readings & explanation, even though I am going to mass in a couple of hours. I find it a good preparation for daily mass. I am curious, why have most Catholic magazines stopped capitalizing any reference to the Lord and/or God?
What refreshing thoughts come to my mind when I think of Our Lord as living water. I thank you and Jesus for telling me of how to spiritually ingest our Lord into my very being. Love the way God speaks to me through you, Joe. Thank you, Fred M.
Joe, my month is never complete without an issue of The Word Among Us. Your articles are enriching and serve as a prod to engage in some spiritual exercises which are otherwise neglected. Last month, prompted by the article, ‘A different Kind of Litany’, after mass each day, I spent about ten minutes before our Lord. I must say that I experienced the peace, joy and fruitfulness Jacqueline promised.
Mahalo Joe for encourgaing me to seek real Passion for Jesus and his mission for me on Earth
All the lesser goods of this world rolled up into one big drink can not and in fact does not quench the soul which is made for and is quenched only by commmunion with God in Christ. No other way that God has reached man and taken supper with him. Only drinking the supernatural waters of Christ quenches our thirst : eating the supernatural food of the Eucharist, availing of the other sacraments and the sacramental presences of Mass, Scripture, and Liturgy of the Hours. The Church serves up Christ to us, so to speak, as we desire to inbibe Him and offer ourselves with Him. Could there be a more important reality going on in space/time and the entire creation than this dynamic interaction between us thirsty humans and our thirst qiuinching self- giving God? Praise God All Mighty!
Hi Joe, The Word Among Us has been my tool for my quiet time every day before I begin the day since I was in high school. Now that I’m a single adult and with my busy work life, I can’t start my day ‘officially’ without listening to what God has to say to me through the daily meditations. In the rush of the morning even when I’m already at my office desk, I never fail to read quickly the meditation for the day..and that what keeps me going and gives me the perspective for the day. Thank you for being God’s wonderful channel of message and hope for me.
Joe -
I NEED HELP! I am unable to find a Catholic who can answer my questions supporting my beliefs/upbringings in the Catholic Church. I have so many questions about different aspects of the Catholic Church that I haven’t had answered or explained.
Please Help!
~Brandon from MN
Joe-
I feel joy when I meet people and start talking to them about the Bible, for the past 10 years I had made the commitment to read the Bible every morning and my wife is with me listening. People always are looking for a sign coming to them from some place above, what I can tell this people is the sign comes from your heart within yourself, we are new subscribers to the Word Among us and we are enjoying it.