Chapter 53: Of the thirst of the Lord Jesus as He hung upon the Cross

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, Fountain of living water, and Source of that wisdom that makes wise unto salvation, for the exceeding great thirst which You did suffer upon the Cross, when, by reason of Your sacred and precious Blood having been poured forth, and all the natural fluids of Your Body having been exhausted by Your grievous tortures, You did — besides Your burning thirst for our salvation — endure an agony of bodily thirst ; and as one utterly poor and needy, did ask for drink, saying, "I thirst." But even this small request there was none who would heed ; none was there who would even offer a cup of cold water to Him Who made all water to flow. Nay more, some of the bystanders, on hearing what You had said, were not only not moved to pity, but became yet more unmerciful ; and that they might gratify the venomous hatred of their wicked hearts, filled a sponge with vinegar mingled with gall, and put to Your sweet Mouth that most bitter draught, which was not fit to be given as drink to a dog.

I laud and honour You for Your most gracious self-restraint in accepting and tasting that most nauseous draught, which by way of expiatory penance for the sin of our first parents, You did taste, in order that as the tasting of the forbidden fruit brought death into the world, so Your tasting of this bitter draught might be to us a healing remedy.

But woe be to you, you impious people of the Jews, of all races of men the most stiff-necked and full of wickedness ! How could you sink to such a depth of depravity as to release Barabbas and crucify Christ ? How could you be brought to such a pitch of madness as to offer vinegar to One Who asked for a drink to stay His thirst ? Put it before the High Priest or the Ruler of your people, and see if he would drink it. What has Christ done to you, or wherein has Jesus of Nazareth wronged you? Answer me, I pray you. Did not God cause manna to fall from heaven for you; did not God draw for you water from the stony rock, that you might eat and drink to the full ? And now, in return for the sweet manna that He gave you, you offer Him wine mingled with myrrh; and in return for the abundant water which He gave you, you offer not a drop to Christ, when He is athirst. Even now, did He will it, Christ could make all your water brackish; and deprived of bread and water you would soon perish for lack of that, which, asked for pity's sake, you now refuse to give. If Christ had willed to have not a nauseous but a refreshing draught, how willingly and how swiftly would the angels, who, when His threefold temptation by the evil one was ended, ministered food to Him, have ministered to Him the life-giving dew of Heaven, more refreshing far than all the water upon earth. But He would not assert Himself, or show His power: He willed rather to work a wonder of patience and endurance, that so He might set an example to those who are professed to poverty.

Do you, then, O disciple of Jesus, drink deeply from this bitter cup as a cure for the indulgence of your appetites; for if you would sup with Christ in the Kingdom of His Father, your heart must not be set upon dainty food, or draughts of costly wine; you must not long for soft beds or fine clothes. Such things are out of keeping with the spotless life of Jesus, and with His most bitter Passion. Be on your guard against yielding to the lusts of the flesh; keep your sensual impulses in check by being moderate in your food; and if you should have exceeded by taking too much or too dainty food, then by daily toil and nightly vigil chasten yourself for your fault, keeping ever sorrowfully in mind the bitter cup of Christ.

O Jesus, Heavenly Manna, and most sweet Nectar, You to Whom, when You were grievously athirst in Your agony on the Cross, vinegar and gall were given to drink, nor would anyone give You even a drop of water, by which You might have been refreshed; grant that at my meals I may be careful to remember this bitter cup of Yours, that so I may not be too anxious about bodily nourishment, but may earnestly apply my mind to the holy words which are being read. May I learn to take only so much food as is needful for me; may I take it in Your fear, and may I devoutly thank You for all Your benefits bestowed upon me. May I be content, and that not grudgingly, with the food set before me, no matter how scanty or uninviting it may be: nay more, may I feel myself unworthy of even the poorest scraps, and shrink from living in idleness at the cost of other men's labours. Grant that I may hunger after the meat that perishes not, but endures unto everlasting life. Grant that I may thirst after the fountain of life eternal, and that I may from time to time be fed with a crumb of that living bread which is set before those who eat at Your Table in Heaven, and may be allowed to taste, be it ever so little, of its inward savour; that so I may be able experimentally to understand how refreshing is that Spirit, O Lord, which You as a free gift do shed forth upon the children of grace.