“Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega; he is the king of the new world; he is the secret of history; he is the key to our destiny."
READ: JOHN 7:37–8:1
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood there and cried out: “If any man is thirsty, let him come to me! Let the man come and drink who believes in me!” As scripture says: From his breast shall flow fountains of living water. He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified. Several people who had been listening said, “Surely he must be the prophet,” and some said, “He is the Christ,” but others said, “Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?” So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him. The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, “Why haven’t you brought him?” The police replied, “There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.” “So,” the Pharisees answered, “you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law—they are damned.” One of them, Nicodemus—the same man who had come to Jesus earlier—said to them, “But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?” To this they answered, “Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.” They all went home, and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
YOUR THREE-STEP GUIDE TO DAILY MENTAL PRAYER
REFLECT
St. John was present when Christ announced the coming of the Spirit. He mentions that on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus “stood there and cried out: ‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to me!’” Every detail expresses the intensity of Christ’s desire to give away the precious gift of meaning and fulfillment that he alone can give. He waited until the climax of the eight-day celebration. He stood up, which means that he took a very visible posture, where the immense crowds couldn’t help but see him. And then he “exclaimed,” as if to say he shouted, he cried out, he did everything he could to make himself heard. And what did he say? “Come to me if you are thirsty, and I will give you a drink like one you have never had before!” Clearly, he meant more than physical thirst; he was addressing himself to the thirst of the human soul, the thirst for meaning and true happiness that drives every decision and action of every man and woman of every time and place. The deepest longing of the human heart—that is what Christ came to fulfill, and how he craves to fulfill it!
Nicodemus: The Sanhedrin was shocked beyond description when the guards returned empty-handed. They couldn’t understand how Jesus was able to move the hearts of everyone who listened to him. They simply refused to confront the truth—they shut it out. I tried to make them see, but they turned on me with such violence that I was disoriented. Wherever Jesus went, people either loved him or hated him. But he always loved. He even loved those who despised him. I warned him and encouraged him to go away, but he was determined to show how much he loved them. When people asked me about him afterwards, that’s what I always said, that he only wanted to convince everyone that they were loved.
RESPOND
I am thirsty, Lord. I have already tasted the living water that you offer. Your Holy Spirit, your wisdom, your truth, and your love alone satisfy the yearnings of my heart. I was made for you—I was made to know you, to feel your love, and to love you in return. But the more I taste the living water of your grace, the more I want to drink. Send your Spirit, Lord, to be my constant companion, my light, and my refreshment…
If your Spirit is flowing within me, refreshing me with grace at every moment, why do I get so tired? Why, Lord, do I keep falling into discouragement and frustration? O Jesus, I know that you have the answers, but sometimes I wish I had them too. Instruct me, Lord; teach me and guide me. Show me the way to go; purify me of everything that blocks the flow of grace in me and through me…
REST
Why do you care so much about me? Why does it matter to you whether I come and drink from the springs of your grace? You hold the whole universe in your hand, and I am just a little speck in the midst of it. And yet, you have made this invitation resound through twenty centuries until it has reached my ears: “Come to me!” You know my name. You want me beside you. I look at you and I know that I am loved…
RESOLVE
How can I carry this encounter with me into the day?
CLOSING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Most Blessed and Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank You for Your love and Your grace in allowing me this time of prayer with You.
The world, the flesh, and the devil will all propose things I should focus on and run after today. I beg You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me instead to know and embrace Your will. Help me to see what You desire of me each moment of this day. Give me the wisdom, strength, and fortitude I need to avoid distractions, discern Your will, and focus on and carry out that which Wisdom reveals. Help me to work and live at a pace of peace and prayerfulness, always attentive to You, able to hear Your voice and to say no to anything that hinders my journey to You and a complete yes to every Holy prompting from You.
Help me to humbly and purposefully live, light, and lead others to the path of union with You and to tell everyone about this way of life. Amen.
About the Author
Fr. John Bartunek was ordained in 2003. He has taught moral theology at various ecclesiastical institutions at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and has authored many books, including the Gospel companion, The Better Part, and Inside the Passion, the only authorized behind-the-scenes look at the film, for which he provided on-set spiritual support. His online retreat guides are available in multiple formats at RCSpirituality.org. Fr. John currently resides in Atlanta, where he is serving as territorial vicar for the Legionaries of Christ.
