Portuguese Fr José Tolentino Mendonça in his spiritual exercise reflected on ‘I became aware that I was thirsty’ and ‘Thirst does not make me ill’ titles. He highlighted that the opposite of thirst which appears at times in our lives is apathy. It is this thirst for nothing which more or less assails us imperceptibly that makes us ill.
As reported by Vatican Radio, Fr. Tolentino remarked that “Connecting with one’s own thirst is not easy work, but if we do not do it, the spiritual life loses its grip on reality. Recognizing our thirst is how we anchor our spiritual lives in the concrete reality of who we are. We yearn for God precisely because we feel his absence.” Further, he added, “The absence of God becomes a kind of temple because it sets in motion desire, nostalgia, sighing, seeking. And thirst then becomes a type of uninterrupted prayer.”
Fr. Tolentino concluded his remarks by reminding that the topic of burnout and suggested that “The prophet Jonah can teach us the treatment for our desires. By fleeing from God, Jonah manifests the contradiction of our desire.”
