We prayed these words together in our responsorial psalm this weekend. Our God placed this thirst within us when He made us for Himself. The thirst of His Heart is the fount from which our thirst flows. Consider how He revealed the depth of His own thirst for us on the cross, when He said, “I thirst.” This calls to mind one of my favorite things, so far, about celebrating Mass at St. Louis. The presider’s chair is directly across from the window (see bulletin cover) that invites us all to meditate on this mystery of our thirst and His own, as it illustrates Psalm 42: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God.” One reason this image is so significant for me is that it is found at the base of my chalice (see pictured). On the chalice, the stream from which the deer are drinking is flowing directly from the cross. One of the simple modifications to the original chalice is the small red jewel (taken from jewelry that previously belonged to both my mother and grandmother), at the center of the cross, meant to symbolize the Sacred Heart, pierced for us upon the cross. [FYI, the three clear jewels are meant to signify the Trinity.] At every Mass, this chalice is filled with His precious blood, that same stream of His Mercy flowing from His Pierced Heart, for which our hearts all thirst. May we allow this thirst to always lead us closer to Him in prayer, at Mass, in Eucharistic Adoration, and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God bless you all.
In Christ through Mary, Fr. Gifford
St. Louis, pray for us!
Blessed Mary, Queen Mother of the King of Kings, pray for us!
