04/09/2026
Today, on Great and Holy Thursday, we listen to the narrative of the Twelve Gospels, which contain the agonizing details of our Lord's arrest, trial, and Crucifixion; and we have glorified His condescension, his Humility, and His long-suffering on behalf of us all.
Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended the Cross to make of It many things: He made of the Cross a compass, to orient our lives and to point us in the way of sacrificial love; He made of the Cross a ship's mast, by which we might book passage through our own deaths to the safe harbor of Heaven; He made of the Cross a ladder, by which we might climb, step by step, into lives of righteousness and truth, and He is there to help us on the way; He made of the Cross a bridge, by which we might pass over, following the Thief, from this world to Paradise; and He made of the Cross a pulpit, from which He preached his Last Seven Words, seven utterances, seven sermons, that call for our utmost attentiveness.
I will mention only one of these sermons, the fifth one, which, in the Greek language, is a single word: Διψῶ – I thirst. This briefest of sermons calls us to become more sensitive and compassionate to the thirst of all those around us–those who are suffering from a thirst for connection, a thirst for understanding, a thirst for forgiveness, a thirst for love.
The question for us from His simple sermon tonight is this: What thirst will you quench in those around you? Will you bring them the vinegar of bitterness, the gall of spite? Or will you soften their pain, and quench their souls that are parched from a lack of love, a lack of friendship, a lack of compassion?
(The Lord walks to His suffering. Fresco in Stavronikita Monastery, Mt. Athos.)
