are you leaking?
"They have forsaken Me, the Source of living waters; they have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water." —Jeremiah 2:13
Does your life hold water — the living waters of God's grace, baptism, and the Holy Spirit? The patterns that we develop in our lives can be likened to digging cisterns (see Jer 2:13). These patterns will either help us retain and grow in our faith or contribute to an erosion and loss of our faith. For instance, a cistern, or way of life, in which God's Word is not taken authoritatively will usually not hold water for long. A cistern in which the Pope is not obeyed will not hold water amid divisive or confusing circumstances. A cistern permissive toward TV is like a sieve. A cistern which emphasizes celebrating daily Mass and Holy Communion usually holds water even under the worst conditions. A cistern in which Christians live in Biblical community holds water better than any other type of cistern. Those in Christian community are very likely to keep the faith.
Christians are leaking badly. Although we have received rivers of living water (see Jn 7:38), we may be bone-dry. Sometimes we deal with this situation by pumping more living water into our lives. We have spurts of prayer, go to special conferences, or have revivals and renewals. However, the living water soon leaks out of our lives. We need more than additional water; we must fix the leaks, that is, dig an unbroken cistern, by repenting and significantly changing the patterns of our lives.
Prayer: Father, may I be filled with the Spirit (see Acts 2:4) and stay filled.
Promise: "O Lord, Your kindness reaches to heaven; Your faithfulness, to the clouds." —Ps 36:6
Praise: St. Sharbel Makhluf was a Lebanese monk who lived as a hermit in poverty, self-sacrifice, and prayer. He traded his previous life for a lifetime of serving Jesus, and thereby discovered who he was (Mt 10:39).
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 2, 2014
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