Drink!
irst drink from
the Old Testament, so that you may drink from the New as well. You cannot
drink from the second without drinking from the first. Drink from the Old
Testament to slake your thirst, and from the New to quench it completely.
Compunction is found in the Old Testament; joy in the New.
Drink Christ because he is the vine; drink Christ because he is the
rock that poured out water. Drink Christ because he is the fountain of
life; drink Christ because he is the river whose running waters give joy
to the city of God, and because he is peace, and because out of his heart
will flow rivers of living water. Drink Christ to drink the blood which
redeemed you; drink Christ to drink his words: The Old Testament is his
word; the New Testament is his word. Holy scripture is drunk and swallowed
when the power of the eternal Word penetrates the depths of the mind and
the virtue of the soul. In short, we do not live by bread alone, but by
every word of God. Drink this word, but according to its own order. Drink
it first in the Old Testament; then hasten to drink it also in the New.
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from
Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman.
The "Daily Reflection" page on the Villanova University web site is sponsored by
the Office for Mission Effectiveness. For more information about the office, contact Dr.
Christopher M. Janosik,
christopher.janosik@villanova.edu
This page was updated on
Monday July 28, 2003.
