We thirst for so many things in this life, and nothing ever seems to satisfy our wants and our desires. When we were children, whether it was begging our parents or praying to St. Nicholas, we all had that one toy that we desired more than anything else. For me, I remember one such toy was the Ninja Turtle blimp. If I just had that toy, I wouldn’t need anything else! Then one day, I finally received that blimp, and it satisfied me for a while, until ads started creeping on the television during Saturday Morning Cartoons for the Ninja Turtle Pizza launcher, which then became the object of my heart’s desire!
After we grow too old for toys, our desires take on different forms. Everyone probably remembers their very first car. Mine was a 1985 Mustang that only started after several minutes of painful anticipation to see whether the engine would turn over. Every time I shut the door, a piece of the rusted body would fall off leaving debris everywhere I parked it. Despite those limitations, I was satisfied with what I had. “This was my car” I would think as I cruised down the road in freedom. But, just like the Ninja Turtle Blimp, the joy eventually subsided, and I started thirsting for the next best thing…a car with a few more “bells and whistles”, or at the very least, one that would start when I turned the key.
We thirst for so many things in life dear ones. Whether it is toys, cars, houses, power, popularity, or likes on social media… “thirsting” is something that is common in all of God’s creation. Yet perhaps our biggest failing in life, is that we tend to thirst for the wrong things. Rather than the eternal glorious of Heaven, we thirst after the fading glorious of the earth.
St. Philotheos reminds us how dangerous this is when he says: “For those who live for earthly things are dead to heavenly things, and daily they drag down those who associate with them, unless they become determined enough to become diligent and sober.”
To be sober…to think with a clear mind…this is the only way in which we can learn to thirst for God, and not waste our life pursuing the things of the world. These hymns of the Mid-Feast help us to reach that sobriety, and to refocus on the things above. The very reason we were put on this earth was not to pursue things of this world, but to hunger and thirst after God Himself. This is why we were created. This is our true purpose in life!
How strong is that thirst for God within us?
Every time we enter the Church for the Divine Liturgy, we come to receive the very Body and Blood of God Himself in the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist. This mystery brings us into union with Christ that goes beyond human description. When we come to the Liturgy, is our thirst for the Eucharist at the forefront of our minds and our hearts, or is there something else we are coming to the Divine Services for? Is it out of obligation? Is it for fellowship? Or is it for the healing of our soul and body?
The Covid Pandemic was a horrible time for our country. Our leaders, and in particular our Church leaders, were put into extremely difficult positions of which they had no experience on how to navigate. Sadly, there were (which many Bishops I have talked to would admit) made many mistakes in closing some of our parishes to the public and manipulating the way the Holy Eucharist was served. Yet, God was merciful, and works to turn mistakes into something beautiful. It was in those moments that our thirst for the Eucharist was re-awakened. I will always remember the faces of the faithful coming back to the chalice for the first time after being like the Israelites in the desert, with tears pouring down their faces as they desired nothing more than the Body and Blood of God Himself. This is what true thirst for God looked like…even if it was only for a few small moments. Lord, give us that thirst back!
When we look at the Saints that adorn the walls of our Churches, are we inspired to the same kind of thirst for our Lord as they had? When the saints walked from place to place, they prayed. In their time of “rest”, they read from the Holy Scriptures. They gave thanks to Him and remembered Him in every action and breath that they took. It is what allowed them to learn to associate with things above and not things below.
We can do this in our own lives as well! Even to take a moment and pause a few times during the day to look up to the sky, to shut our eyes, take a deep breath, and to say “Glory to Thee O God, for all that you have bestowed upon me…Glory to Thee”.
Making an effort to draw the living water through worship, both here as a family, and at home privately, is VITAL to our humanity. To do anything else…to place a priority on anything else…is to deny who we are as human beings. “Our hearts were made for Thee O Lord,” St. Augustine says “and they are restless until they find their rest in Thee.”
Let us live lives that coincide with our true purpose, brother and sisters in Christ. Let us echo the psalms, which guide us in our worship to God by saying: “As a heart longs for flowing streams…so longs my soul for Thee O God. My soul thirsts for God…for the living God.” Amen