Monthly Reflection:

June 2021

Salvation history is the unraveling of God’s love

for man, the greatest of which is the Incarnation

of the second person of the Trinity, who became

man to seek the heart of man with His own

heart. Jesus told St. Gertrude, “Nothing gives me

greater joy than the human heart, yet how much

I am denied the love of the human heart”.

The manifestation of the love of God for men reached its climax on the Cross and the cry of Jesus, ‘I

thirst’ epitomizes it. As a ‘missionary,’ we often understand this as a call to satisfy Jesus’ thirst for

other souls. But in contemplation, we must hear from Jesus’ mouth that it is for my soul that He

thirsts foremost. As St. Teresa of Calcutta said, ‘I thirst’ is something much deeper than Jesus just

saying, ‘I love you.’ Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you — you cannot begin to know

who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him”. Unless this truth penetrates our

souls, we may try to do many things for Him instead of letting Him complete the good work He

started in our soul (Phil. 1:6). It is with Him and in Him and through Him that one can reach out to

other souls. “He who does not gather with me scatters” (Mt. 12:30 ). The Master himself said, “If any

one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of

his heart shall flow rivers of living water’” (Jn. 7:37-38). “Blessed is he, who drinking from this

fountain of love, sees how his thirst grows in the same instant in which it is satiated” (Cardinal

Etchegaray).