"I Thirst" Jesus Cried Out From The Cross

                                    “I Thirst” Jesus Cried Out From The Cross

Eileen Renders

   Did we believe that Jesus wanted water? To the end of her life, Mother Teresa insisted that the single, most important reason for the existence of the congregation she founded was to satiate (to satisfy, to fill) the thirst of Jesus.

   “I thirst,” Jesus said on the Cross when Jesus was deprived of every consolation, dying in absolute poverty, left alone, despised, and broken in body and soul. He spoke of His thirst, not for water, but for love, for sacrifice. Jesus is God: therefore, His love, and His thirst is infinite. Our aim is to quench this infinite thirst of God-made man. Just like the adoring angels in heaven ceaselessly sing the praises of God, so the Sisters, using the four vows of Absolute Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, and Charity towards the poor ceaselessly quench the thirsting God by their love and of the love of the souls they bring to Him. The preceding words are taken from the writings of Mother Teresa herself in her book “COME BE MY LIGHT.”

   The original draft she wrote while on the train to Calcutta has remained unchanged even today. The Sisters of the Missionary took the four vows of Absolute Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, and Charity towards the poor ceaselessly to quench our thirsting God by our love, and of the love of the souls they bring to Him.

   Mother Teresa told the Sisters; “Let us always remain with Mary our Mother on Calvery near the crucified Jesus, with our chalice made of the four vows, and fill it with love and self-sacrifice, of pure love, always held up close to His suffering Heart, so that He may be pleased to accept our love.

   Thirst, a physical need that craves to be satisfied, a painful longing for what is missing, became synonymous for her with particular aspects of God’s love for each person. A few years before her death, she wrote to remind her followers;

“Jesus wants me to tell you again; How much is the love He has for each one of you, beyond all that you can imagine. Not only He loves you, but even more, He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you! He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy.” Mother Teresa continued explaining to the Sisters: “Why does Jesus say “I thirst?” What does it mean? She continued; “Something so hard to put into words; “I thirst” is something much deeper than just Jesus saying “I love you.” Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you, you can’t begin to know He wants to be for you. Or how He wants you to be for Him.”  

   In my own words, reading the above writings of Mother Teresa brought tears to my eyes. I wanted so much, to share with you how Saint Teresa expressed God’s love for us. Until we understand that love, we cannot begin to appreciate His love, nor can we begin working toward returning that love through serving our God with similar vows as those Mother Teresa adopted.