March 10

Broken Cisterns

For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water. — Jer 2:13 BSB

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. — John 7:37 BSB

What a great mistake it is to miss the fountain that freely flows to quench our deepest thirst, and instead carve out broken cisterns that only bring disappointment and despair. Many of us may read these words while feeling a soul-thirst that longs for satisfaction, standing within reach of God, who is like rock-water for the thirsty. Yet some try the impossible—to satisfy their longing for the infinite and divine through people and worldly things.

There is the cistern of Pleasure, beautifully adorned but costly, leading to a loss of health and peace. There’s the cistern of Wealth, glittering with riches, but ultimately leaving the soul unsatisfied. There’s the cistern of Human Love, which, while beautiful and good, can never completely satisfy the soul when relied on alone. All these cisterns, built at great cost of time and energy, are unreliable and unfulfilling.

Right at our feet flows the fountain of God’s love, available through Jesus Christ, the Divine Man. Jesus promises, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” To drink from this stream, we must humble ourselves, coming back to Calvary and standing at the foot of the Cross. There, we hear the words of Jesus who cried, “I thirst,” so that He might offer the Water of Life freely to anyone who comes to Him.

To those who are weary, set down your burdens and return to God. Abandon the friendships, alliances, idolatries, and sins that have separated you from your best Friend. Open your heart to Him, and let Him create within you a fountain of living water that springs up into eternal life. As the Scriptures say, “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ And let anyone who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires take the water of life freely.”

“I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that Life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.”

Prayer

Lord, teach us to live in fellowship with You, so that every act may become a psalm, every meal a sacrament, every room a sanctuary, and every thought a prayer. Amen.