FATHERS AND DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH

The following is a brief survey of the commentary of Fathers and Doctors of the Church on
the thirst of Jesus. These few are given here principally to show that this interpretation of Jesus
word on the cross (echoed in his words to the Samaritan! is not at all new in Church tradition!
even if infre"uently cited # and here is a significant part of the newness and uni"ueness of
$others charism and message! precisely in the unprecedented accent and focus she gives to the
mystery of the thirst of %od for man.
Augustine:
"He asks for a drink, and he promises a drink. He is in need, as one hoping to
receive, yet he is rich, as one about to satisfy the thirst of others"
&
God thirsts to be thirsted for [Deus sitit sitiri]
'
!n the cross "esus said# I thirst ! but they didn$t give him %hat he thirsted for.
He thirsted for them, and they gave him vinegar
(
Bonaventure:
&ndeed in "esus is revea'ed precise'y God(s thirst to pour forth 'ife. He thirsts, not
out of 'ack, but out of superabundance. )he 'ove of God by nature is effusive of
itse'f.
)

Bernard of Clarivaux:
*y his thirst, the +ord "esus p'aces before us an image of his ardent 'ove for
us
*
Thomas Aquinas#
&f "esus says I thirst it is first of a'' because he is dying a true death, not on'y in
appearance ,'it a shado% of death-. Here as %e'' %e see his ardent desire for
the sa'vation of the human race, according to the %ords of .t /au'# God our
.avior %ishes a'' men to be saved and come to the kno%'edge of the truth
,0)m 1#234- "esus himse'f said that the .on of 5an had come to seek out and
save that %hich %as 'ost ,+k 6#07-. 8o%, the vehemence of this desire is c'ear'y
e9pressed %ith his thirst, as the psa'mist says 5y sou' is thirsting for the 'iving
God.
+

Robert Bellarmine:
!ur +ord seems to me to have said, "I thirst" in the same sense as that in
%hich he addressed the .amaritan %oman, "Give me to drink." :or %hen he
unfo'ded the mystery contained in these %ords, he added, "&f you but kne% the gift
of God, and %ho it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you %ou'd have asked of
him, and he %ou'd have given you 'iving %ater." 8o%, ho% cou'd he thirst %ho is
the fount of 'iving %ater; Does he not refer to himse'f in saying, "&f any man thirst,
'et him come to me and drink;" ,"n. <#2<-. =nd is he not that rock of %hich the
=post'e speaks# "=nd they drank of the spiritua' rock %hich fo''o%ed them, and the
rock %as >hrist;" ,0 >or. 07#4-. &n fine, is it not he %ho addresses the "e%s by
1
Augustine. Treatise on John, CCL 36: 154-156
2
Augustine. De diversis quaes. 64, 4: PL.40,56.
3
Ibid.
4
Bonaventure. Brevioquiu! 1,"# Itinerariu! 6# De $%sterio Trinitatis I,"# &'., De( 3).3
5
Bernard of Clairvaux. As uoted in !C" Charis! *tate!ent, #i$uana, 1%%0
6
#&o'as Auinas. In Jo. +i+. Le&t. 5
the mouth of "eremiah the /rophet# ")hey have forsaken me the fountain of
'iving %ater, and have dug themse'ves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can ho'd no
%ater;" ,"er. 1#02-. &t seems to me, then, that our +ord from the >ross, as from a
high throne, casts a 'ook over the %ho'e %or'd, %hich is fu'' of men %ho are athirst
and fainting from e9haustion, and by reason of His parched state he pities the
drought %hich mankind endures, and cries a'oud, "I thirst" that is, & am thirst!
on account of the dried and arid state of my *ody, but this thirst %i'' ?uick'y end.
)he thirst ho%ever, that & suffer from my desire that men shou'd begin by faith to
kno% that & am the true fount of 'iving %ater, shou'd come to me and drink, that
they may not thirst for ever, is incomparab'y greater.
,
Catherine of "iena:
!h s%eetest, bound'ess, be'oved charity@ &t %as your infinite hunger and thirst for
our sa'vation that made you cry out that you %here thirst!! )hough your agony
there caused you intense physica' thirst, you thirst for our sa'vation %as greater.
=h, ah me@ )here is no one to give you anything to drink e9cept the bitterness of
sin upon sin@ Ho% fe% there are %ho give you a drink free'y and %ith pure 'oving
affection@
-
)here [on the cross] they [the saints] found the +amb s'ain such a fire of 'ove for
our sa'vation, seeming'y insatiab'e. He even cries a'oud that he is thirst!, as if to
say# & have more Aea', thirst, desire for your sa'vation than & can sho% you %ith
this finite suffering.
.
)here [on the cross] %e find the +amb s'ain and opened up for us %ith such
hungry desire for the :ather$s honor and our sa'vation that seems he cannot
effective'y sho% by his bodi'y suffering a'one a'' that he 'ong to give. &t seems this
is %hat he meant %hen he cried out on the cross, B& am thirst!!$ as if to say, ;&
have great a thirst for your sa'vation that & cannot satisfy itC give me to drink@$ )he
gent'e "esus %as asking to drink those he sa% not sharing in the redemption
purchased by his b'ood, but he %as given nothing to drink but bitterness. =h,
dearest, not on'y at the time of the >rucifi9ion, but 'ater and even no% %e
continue to see him asking for this kind of drink and sho%ing us that his thirst
persist. &t seems to me that peop'e give him nothing but bitterness and the stench
of sin.
&/
The last witness among Doctors of the Church is from her whom $other Teresa loo0ed to
as personal patroness! from whom she too0 her name! and with whom she spiritually identified at
many levels! St. Thrse of Lisieux.
The 1ittle Flowers e2perience occurred on a Sunday as she ga3ed on a picture of Jesus
Crucified. 4ears later she would write that the cry of Jesus Thirst had penetrated her soul in that
moment! and that the words I Thirst had5
set af'ame in me a 'ive'y and unkno%n ardor. & %anted to satiate my *e'oved,
and & fe't myse'f devoured by His same thirst for sou's & seemed to hear "esus
saying to me as to the .amaritan# BGive 5e to drink$C and the more & gave Him to
drink the more the thirst of my sou' gre%...
&&
"esus doesn$t need our %ork, she %rites, but on'y our 'ove, for this same God
is not afraid to beg a bit of %ater from the .amaritan. He thirsted ... but in
(
)o*ert Bellar'ine. The *even ,ords *-o.en b% Christ, +&. %.
,
Letter 3(, to B-. Angelo )i+asoli, at "loren+e, 13(5
%
ibid.
10
Letter 66, to A**ot .iovanni di .ano da /rvieto
11
#&0r1se de Lisieux. $anus&rits /utobio0ra-hiques, !A.
saying BGive 5e to drink$ it %as the 'ove of His poor creature that the
>reator of the universe %as asking. He thirsted for 'ove...
&'
The witness of saints and servants of %od to the spiritual significance of the thirst
of Jesus is actually more vast and varied than might be imagined! though too numerous to
investigate here.
&(
6s important as this theme has been to any of these e2ponents of the
tradition! however! in none of them has it been as central and as developed as in Mother
Teres.
12
Ibid. !B.
13
#o illustrate, t&e follo2ing +itations are offered as a sa'-le:
1,hat Christ said to the *a!aritan ,o!an, 12ive !e to drin.3, he re-eats to a o' us 'ro! the Cross 4hen he sa%s I
thirst.3 34t. Lauren+e 5ustinian5.
Al-&onsus Liguori +ites a nu'*er of saints in &is o2n +o''entar6 on t&e fift& 2ord fro' t&e +ross:
1*t. Lauren&e Justinian, in &onsiderin0 this ,ord3 I Thirst 14hi&h Jesus -ronoun&ed on the Cross 4hen he 4as
e+-irin0, sa%s that this thirst 4as not a thirst 4hi&h -ro&eeded 'ro! dr%ness, but one that arose 'ro! the ardour o' ove
that Jesus had 'or us: 1This thirst s-rin0s 'ro! the 'ever o' his ove36De Tr. Chr. /0. C. 175
1Be&ause b% this 4ord our 8edee!er intended to de&are to us, !ore than the thirst o' the bod%, the desire that he had
o' su''erin0 'or us, b% sho4in0 us his ove, and the i!!ense desire that he had o' bein0 oved b% us, b% !an% su''erin0s
that he endured 'or us: 1This thirst -ro&eeds 'ro! the 'ever o' his ove.3 /nd *t. Tho!as *a%s, 1B% this 9I thirst: is
sho4n the ardent desire 'or the savation o' the hu!an ra&e36In Jo. +i+. Le&t. 5.5
1This 4as his thirst,3 4rote *t. Lauren&e Justinian: 1he thirsts 'or us, and desires to 0ive hi!se' to us.36De tr. Chr.
/0. C. 175
*t. Basi o' *eeu&ia sa%s !oreover, that Jesus Christ, in sa%in0 that he thirsted, 4oud 0ive us to understand that he, 'or
the ove 4hi&h he bore us, 4as d%in0 4ith the desire o' su''erin0 'or us even !ore than 4hat he had su''ered: 1; that
desire, 0reater than the <assion.1
1; !ost ovin0 2od= Be&ause %ou ove us, %ou do desire that 4e shoud desire %ou: 12od thirsts to be thirsted 'or,3 as
*t. 2re0or% tea&hes us. /h, !% Lord, do %ou thirst 'or !e, a !ost vie 4or! as I a!> /nd sha I not thirst 'or %ou, !%
in'inite 2od> ;h, b% the !erit o' this thirst endured u-on the &ross, 0ive !e a 0reat thirst to ove %ou, and to -ease %ou
in a thin0s.6 *t /-honsus < ? D o' JC -1"55
1The *&ri-ture, 4hi&h 4as to be 'u'ied, is the te+t o' David: 1/nd in !% thirst the% 0ave !e to drin.3.6<s: 67, ""5
But, ; Lord, %ou are sient about the intense -ains 4hi&h hasten %our death, and do %ou &o!-ain o' thirst> /h= The
thirst o' Jesus 4as ver% di''erent 'ro! that 4hi&h 4e i!a0ine it to be. @is thirst is desire o' bein0 oved b% sou 'or
4ho! he dies. Thus, !% Jesus, %ou do thirst a'ter !eA and sha I not thirst a'ter %ou, 4ho are in'inite 0ood>3 6*t
/-honsus < ? D o' JC -."135
1I thirst.3 1*t. John 4rites, Jesus the!, .no4in0 that a thin0s 4ere a&&o!-ished, that the *&ri-ture !i0ht be
'u'ied, said: 9I thirst3 6Jn. 17,"B5. The *&ri-ture here re'ers to the 4ords o' David, 1the% 0ave $e 0a to eat, and in
!% thirst the% 0ave $e vine0ar to drin..36<s. 67, ""5
1*evere 4as this bodi% thirst, 4hi&h Jesus Christ endured on the &ross throu0h his oss o' bood, 'irst in the 0arden,
and a'ter4ards in the ha o' Cud0!ent, at his s&our0in0 and &ro4nin0 4ith thorns# and, ast%, u-on the &ross, 4here
'our strea!s o' bood 0ushed 'orth 'ro! 'our 'ountains. But 'ar !ore terribe 4as his s-iritua thirst, that is, his ardent
desire to save a !an.ind, and to su''er sti !ore 'or us, as Bosius sa%s, in order to sho4 us his Love 6$ar0. *-. -.3,
&. 1B5. ;n this *t. Lauren&e Justinian 4rites: 1This thirst &a!e 'ro! the 'ount o' ove.36De Tr. Chr. /0. C. 1D5. 6*t
/-honsus < ? D o' JC -"755
Jesus the!, .no4in0 that his sa&ri'i&e 4as no4 &o!-eted, said that he 4as thirst%: @e said, I thirst. /nd the
e+e&utioners then rea&h u- to his !outh a s-on0e, 'ied 4ith vine0ar and 0a.
But, Lord, ho4 is it that %ou do !a.e no &o!-ain o' those !an% -ains 4hi&h are ta.in0 a4a% %our i'e, but &o!-ain
on% o' %our thirst> /h=, I understand %ou, !% Jesus# Eour thirst is a thirst o' ove# be&ause %ou ove us, %ou desire to be
beoved b% us. 4t Al-&onsus, <assion and Death o' Jesus Christ.
And in t&e 2ritings of ot&er saints and servants of .od:
7;ne o' !% 0reatest su''erin0s 4as &aused b% the divine @eart addressin0 to !e these 4ords: 9I thirst 4ith su&h a
terribe thirst to be oved b% !en in the Bessed *a&ra!ent that this thirst &onsu!es $e. Eet I 'ind no one tr%in0 to
quen&h it a&&ordin0 to $% desire b% so!e return o' $% ove8.9 34t. !argaret !ar6 Ala+oue:
7Love !e ... I thirst 'or %our ove, Cust as a -ar&hed !an thirsts 'or a s-rin0 o' 'resh 4ater.9
7Te a sous that I -re'er an a&t o' ove ... to an% other 0i't 4hi&h the% !a% o''er $e ... 'or I thirst 'or ove.9 3Consolata
Betrone:
7I ove the!. Fothin0 indeed is 4antin0 to $% heaven% beatitude, 4hi&h is in'inite, but I %earn 'or sous, I thirst 'or
the! ... 7
7I ove to hear %ou &ain0 $e, I thirst 'or ove.9
7Do not &ease thin.in0 o' sous, o' sinners ... ;h ho4 I thirst 'or sous.9
7Ees, 0ive $e to drin., 'or I a! thirst%. Eou .no4 4e that I a! thirstin0 'or sous, the sous I ove so !u&h. Eou &an
0ive !e to drin. ...9
7I 4as thirst% and %ou sa.ed $% thirst. I sha be %our re4ard. Ees, $% one desire is to be oved. I' sous but .ne4 the
e+&ess o' $% ove the% 4oud not disre0ard it ... that is 4h% I 0o see.in0 the! out to 0et the! to &o!e ba&. to $e. I
4ant %ou to burn 4ith ove 'or $e. I have aread% !ade it &ear to %ou that %ou 4i 'ind ha--iness no4here but in $%
heart. I 4ant %ou to ove $e, but I aso 4ant %ou to burn 4ith desire to see $e oved, this !ust be the one sustenan&e
o' %our sou. I 4i return this evenin0, that %ou !a% sa.e $% devourin0 thirst, and I sha ta.e $% rest in %ou.9
7Co!e sa.e $% thirst to be oved b% sous, es-e&ia% to be oved b% those I have &hosen A. Behod this @eart on 'ire
4ith on0in0 'or their ove ...9
7*hare 4ith $e the 'a!es that are &onsu!in0 $% @eart: I thirst 'or the savation o' sous. I' on% the% 4oud &o!e to
$e. $% @eart 0ives divine 4orth to %our s!a o''erin0s, 'or 4hat I 4ant is ove. ,hat is so 4oundin0 to $% @eart is
that o'ten instead o' ove I !eet on% 4ith indi''eren&e. 2ive $e ove and 0ive $e sous, unite a %our a&tions to $%
@eart. *ta% 4ith $e 4ho a! 4ith %ou. I a! ove and desire on% ove. ;h, i' sous on% reaiGed ho4 I 4ait 'or the! in
!er&%.9
7,hen %ou &a $e, I a! ver% near to %ou. But 4hen I &a sous, the% do not hear $e. *o !an% 0o a4a%. But %ou at
east &o!'ort $e b% &ain0 $e and on0in0 'or $e. *a.e $% thirst b% %our desire 'or $e.3 35osefa !enende;: