O Lord, you yourself are that Spring,
always and forever to be desired, always and forever to be drunk from. Christ
our Lord, give us this water as the Samarian woman once asked you, so
that in us also it can be a spring of living water welling up into eternal
life. It is an enormous gift I am asking – everyone knows that – but you, King
of glory, have given great gifts in the past and made great promises. Nothing,
after all, is greater than you; and yet you have given yourself to us and given
yourself for us.
Therefore we beg you that we should come
to full knowledge of the thing that we love; for we pray to be given nothing
other than you yourself. You are everything to us, our life, our light, our
health and strength, our food, our drink, our God. Jesus, our Jesus, I beg you
to fill our hearts with the breath of your Spirit. Pierce our souls with the
sword of your love...
Photograph by Brother Brian of Lac Marie on the Abbey grounds. Lines from the Instructions of Saint Columban.
