Cups of Cold Water

Learning to love the poor in the name of Jesus

07/02/2023

Mt 10:37-42 Jesus said to his apostles: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

I really like Jesus’ phrase in the gospel today: “give a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink.” Why? Well, because every Christian can do that, even a small child. In other words, maybe you feel you cannot be a missionary to India or China, or a martyr who sacrifices your life and dies for Jesus, or a monk secluded in a mountain monastery. Everyone cannot be a missionary, a martyr, or a monk.

Nonetheless, every Christian, whatever our state in life, can give a cup of cold water to someone in need. I would like to explore three different ways of giving a cup of cold water, that is, metaphorically-speaking, or symbolically-speaking In other words, a cup of cold water does not always have to come in a 12-ounce glass with ice and a lemon wedge.

At Immaculate Conception Church we have an elementary school. On the anniversary of my ordination each year, on May 25, the students write me cards which they decorate beautifully. You see, their cards are their cup of cold water for me, and some are pretty funny. Here’s a very poetic card, which read: “Fr. John, today, I am looking back to when I first met you. And since then, you have managed to come a long way and thrive! I am immensely proud that you have stood by our sides when the tides were high and the winds were low! Love, Julissa.” Kiley’s cup of cold water read: “Congratulations on being a priest for twenty-five years! That seems like forever since I haven’t been alive that long!”

Little Preston added in his card: “Fr. John, you’ve been a priest for 25 years, that is a quarter to a hundred!” Marcos said very philosophically: “Happy 26th anniversary, it must feel great and bad at the same time because you are getting closer to getting old. Enjoy it while it lasts because sooner or later it will be your 27th anniversary. Love, Marcos.” Wow, with water like that, who needs deserts? But I loved all the cards, funny and serious, because these precious students gave their own kind of cold water. And it was refreshing for me.

Here is a second kind of cup of cold water, namely, a simple prayer. Have you noticed the people on virtually every main street intersection, holding signs that say things like, “Anything will help!” and “God bless you!”? I don’t know about you, but when I pull up to a red light and see them standing there, I always feel a pang of awkwardness and anxiety.

I feel like I should do something but then I hesitate because maybe they will use that money for drugs or alcohol. Or, maybe my money will only perpetuate their laziness rather than helping them get a job. By the time I go through all these “what if’s” the light has changed to green and I breathe a sigh of relief, and speed off. But instead of doing nothing, I pray a sincere Hail Mary and I ask God to help them. Even though I may be stumped, God knows how to help them. In other words, prayer is my cup of cold water to help people in need.

Here is a third example of a symbolic cup of cold water, and this is the most important one. This weekend at I.C. a visiting priest will celebrate all the Masses, in English and Spanish, named, Fr. Pascal Kumanda. I met him on Friday night and he has a very big smile, laughs easily, and is fluent in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and two languages spoken in Congo, his home country. I decided not to brag that I can speak English and Spanish. He is visiting I.C. on behalf of an organization called Cross Catholic Outreach.

In other words, he will ask I.C. parishioners if they can give a cup of cold water to people in need in third-world countries by donating for basic needs, like food, shelter, clothing, and education. But if I.C. parishioners are smart – and they have a really smart pastor so they should be! – they will quickly see that Fr. Pascal is offering them a cup of cold water, too. How so? Well, his water will be his words, especially his words of preaching and consecration of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, even if they come with an Congolese accent.

By the way, don’t forget the original twelve apostles were also strangers with foreign accents who evangelized all the nations. They gave the world that spiritual water that Jesus had foretold the Samaritan woman in John 4:14: “The water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In other words, Jesus’ water (which is really the Holy Spirit) is not some metaphorical water, it is metaphysical water, more real than water in a 12 ounce glass with ice and a lemon wedge. That is the water we all truly thirst for, and we can only find it in Jesus and the Church, and through priests like Fr. Pascal Kumanda.

Back in 1971 Coca-Cola made a popular commercial on a hilltop in Italy where they gathered young people from all over the world singing in harmony. Do you remember that commercial? The words were quite beautiful, which went: “I’d like to buy the world a home, And furnish it with love, Grow apple trees and honey bees, And snow-while turtle doves. I’d like to teach the world to sing, In perfect harmony, I’d like to buy the world a Coke, And keep it company. That’s the real thing.”

Well, folks, the really real thing is not Coca-Cola but rather the refreshing water which is the Holy Spirit. Only that spiritual water will help the world to sing in harmony because it will keep the company of Christ. And we can give each other a cup of that living water every time we give an anniversary card, say a heartfelt prayer, or hear the preaching of a missionary priest.

Praised be Jesus Christ!