The Intimacy of a Thirsty Soul
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Psalm 42:1-11
As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and see the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, as they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Those things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love; and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Grace Prayed For
I pray for the grace to embrace my spiritual thirst as a holy longing that draws me deeper into intimacy with the Trinitarian God, and to have the courage to share the hope that quenches this thirst with every person I meet.
Reflection
The psalmist begins with a powerful, almost primal image: a deer desperate for life-giving water. This isn’t a casual thirst; it’s a deep, instinctual longing for survival. This is the starting point for intimacy with God—recognizing that our soul has a desperate, foundational need for Him. It is in this place of honest longing, where we admit our own spiritual dehydration, that we can truly begin to seek the face of the “living God.”
Notice the rawness of this prayer. The psalmist is not putting on a brave face. He speaks of tears as his food and feels the taunts of a world asking, “Where is your God?” This is a profound part of intimacy. A true relationship isn’t just about the “glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving.” It’s also about being able to cry out in our moments of desolation, “Why have you forgotten me?” It is in this vulnerability that we invite the Trinity into our deepest pain. We cry out to the Father, our rock; we cling to the memory of the Son, Jesus, who experienced abandonment on the cross; and we groan with the help of the Spirit who intercedes for us.
This intimate encounter transforms our suffering into mission. The psalmist remembers leading the “procession to the house of God.” When we have tasted the living water, even when we are currently feeling a thirst, the memory of that satisfaction compels us to lead others to the source. Our evangelization doesn’t come from a place of having it all together, but from the experience of being desperately thirsty and knowing the One who can quench that thirst. The love that shines forth from us is not a denial of suffering, but a hope that persists through it. We can look at a struggling world and say, “I know what it feels like to be downcast, but let me tell you about the hope I have in God, my salvation.”
Daily Evangelization and Baptismal Mission
Our mission to evangelize is fundamentally about sharing how Jesus has personally impacted our lives. It’s about revealing the love story He is writing with us.
- Share Your “Why”: When someone asks how your weekend was, don’t just say, “Good.” You could say, “It was really refreshing. I had some quiet time in prayer that helped me find peace.” This shares the effect of your relationship with God without being preachy. It makes faith tangible.
- Practice Presence: The greatest witness is often a listening ear. When you are fully present with someone, offering them your undivided attention and empathy, you are showing them the attentive, personal love of God. You are being Christ to them in that moment.
- Connect Your Actions to Your Faith: When you help a neighbor, volunteer, or show unexpected kindness, and they thank you, you can simply reply, “It’s my pleasure. My faith inspires me to love my neighbor.” This connects the fruit (your action) to the root (Jesus’ love in you).
- Tell Your Story: The core of evangelization is your testimony. It’s not a theological argument; it’s the story of how Jesus’ love has changed you. It’s saying, “I used to be burdened by anxiety, but my relationship with Jesus has brought me a deep sense of peace.” or “I struggled to forgive, but seeing how much God has forgiven me in Christ gave me the strength to let it go.” This is your unique Gospel message, and it’s a powerful witness to how Jesus is actively restoring creation, one heart at a time.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post