Longings and Thirsts

"I think the best way to describe man's existential loneliness(and man in general) is with one simple word: thirst"

- Fr.Michael E. Gaitley, MIC

Fr. Mike goes on to say, "We can have everything in the world and still be depressed, still be thirsty for what we can't quite put into words! St. Augustine nails it when He says 'You made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you'"

There is a vacuole in our hearts that only God can fill! However, more often that not, we seek other means to satisfy this thirst but all of it seem unquenchable. We seek all sorts of distractions from this inevitable thirst. We just try to keep ourselves occupied. We turn to seeking power, we turn to fulfilling our lust and greed, we turn to addictions such as smoking, alcohol, masturbation, casual sex, we turn to false gods, we turn to motivational talks, we turn to our smartphones - we scroll endlessly until we get notifications and the list goes on! But none of these can embody the shape of the jigsaw puzzle that can fill in the gap that causes our restlessness and loneliness. Truth be told, even authentic relationships with others will not suffice if it is not founded first and foremost on a relationship with God.

A bigger problem arises in actual fact. Many of us, after years and maybe even, decades for some of you, of seeking other 'fill-ins' for the gap, have become very numb. We don't even feel that hunger and thirst for God. We just survive each day, we run through the motions and we just do what we gotta do. That numbness in it's essence is caused by spiritual sickness.

Andre Ong, a Catholic Lay Evangelist from Malaysia, says we often do not feel hungry for God because we are spiritually sick. This is drawn from from a comparison to what happens when we are physically sick. The same premise is used. When we are physically sick, we have no appetite to eat.

How to overcome this numbness/ spiritual sickness in order to fill in the gap in our hearts that cause our restlessness, to quench the thirst of our beings?

There's two things we need to do:

1. Run to Confession

Let's take a few steps back. When we are physically sick? Where do we go? The Clinic. Whom do we consult? A doctor. Who addresses us before the Doctor and administers to us thereafter? A nurse.

When we are spiritually sick because of sin, where should we go? The Confessional. Whom do we turn to for healing rays of forgiveness? Jesus. Who addresses us before our Divine Physician and administers His Divine Mercy to us thereafter? Mother Mary. So, the Confessional is the treatment room, just like a Clinic. Jesus is the Doctor. Mother Mary is the Nurse. Divine Mercy is the medication we all need!

2. Run to Mass

Scott Hahn, in his talk entitled "Paschal Sacrifice: Heavenly Banquet for Earthly Beggars" , cites the Parable of the Great Feast found in Luke 14. I would like to zero in on his reflection on Luke 14:21, "The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ "

Scott Hahn reflected on this passage, in the context of the Mass which is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, we are all blessed to be called and invited! At times, we can feel bored, we can feel nothing is happening, we may be spiritually crippled, lame, sick, blind and deaf but we are all invited to the Wedding Feast! God does not wait for us to be perfect, he calls us to Himself as we are, amidst our sufferings, shortcomings and sins. We who are spiritually sick- crippled, blind or lame are chosen. What a joy and what a blessing.

Truly, when we go to Mass, we are at a wedding feast! Marcus B. Peter, Catholic Theologian, says, " During the liturgy of the Eucharist, particularly when we receive Christ in Holy Communion, we are literally and metaphysically in Heaven, at his wedding banquet, with him. "

Scott Hahn also highlights that the Church in Her Divine Wisdom, adapted the phrase "Happy are those called to supper of the Lamb" to "Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb."

It's okay if we are not happy. It's fine if we run to Him in mass with our sadness or whatever we are facing. The Church is for sinners in as much as hospitals are for sick patients.

Therefore, let us run to Confession so that Jesus can heal us with His Divine Mercy, remove any numbness, and help us regain our appetite and whatever it is, let us run to Holy Mass for the Lord invites us even if and in fact, especially when we are spiritually crippled, lame, blind or deaf! We are all works in progress, let's allow the Potter to mold us and shape us, the clay.