Jeremiah’s imagery at the beginning of the 2nd chapter of his writings calls to mind Adam and Eve but easily can be applied to ourselves. It is another picture of the spiritual journey we, as sinners, follow.
We begin our journey, our relationship with God, mindful of our own dedication and efforts to follow the Lord, living as he has called us. Then, at some point in time, each of us encountered our own moment when we bite into that infamous apple. That was the moment when, as Jeremiah writes, "You entered and defiled my land, you made my heritage loathsome. "
God charges Jeremiah to write, "Two evils have (they) done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; they have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water." The broken cisterns are the idols we have built for ourselves. This is one way that God sees our sinfulness.
He uses the image of water because water is so essential for life. It is a wonderful image to draw us back to God when we consider his own description of himself: "the source of living waters."
How often we see advertisements offering a "fountain of youth" to extend our lives. The responsorial psalm gives us a clue that offers more than youth, it is the gift of life: "With you is the fountain of life, Lord." This is where we repair the broken cisterns we have brought in our lives to quench a thirst that takes us away from a God that has given us so much.
How often we see advertisements offering a "fountain of youth" to extend our lives. The responsorial psalm gives us a clue that offers more than youth, it is the gift of life: "With you is the fountain of life, Lord." This is where we repair the broken cisterns we have brought in our lives to quench a thirst that takes us away from a God that has given us so much.
