[Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
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Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (v.10).
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“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.” (v.26). 
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Ivonne J. Hernandez Ivonne is a Catholic wife, mother, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, President of Elisheba House, speaker, and writer. Author of The Rosary: Eucharistic Meditations. Regular contributor for CatholicMom.com and the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflection. She has written for other publications, including Emmanuel Publishing and Shalom Magazine. She and her husband, Rick Hernandez, coordinate the RCIA program at their home parish. She loves choral music and is a member of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. She lives in Trinity, FL with her husband and two of her young adult sons.

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13)

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged, for as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)

“On Mount Athos in Northern Greece, there was once a monastery with a monk who got drunk every day and was the cause of scandal to the many pilgrims in the area. After many years, the monk died, and this relieved some of the faithful, who went on to tell the Elder, Father Paisios, that they were delighted that this huge problem was finally solved.
 
Father Paisios answered that he knew about the monk’s death, for he ‘saw the entire battalion of angels who came to collect his soul.’ The pilgrims were amazed at Father Paisios’ words, and some protested and tried to explain further to the Elder, thinking he did not understand the situation.
 
Seeing the situation, Elder Paisios explained that the monk was born in Asia Minor shortly before the destruction of the area by the Turks and that after the battles, the Turks ordered that all the boys of the region be gathered, a generation to be held captive.
 
The Turks took all the young children with them to the reaping, and so that they would not cry, they poured raki (an alcoholic drink) into their milk to keep them from crying. This treatment continued for many years, and therefore, the monk from Mount Athos grew up as an alcoholic. In time, the monk found the Elder and confessed that he was an alcoholic and could not stop his drinking, for he had been drinking since he was a young child.
                      
The Elder took him in and told him to do prostrations and prayers every night and beg the Blessed Mother Mary to help him reduce the glasses he drank by one. After a year of prostrations and prayers, he managed, with struggle and repentance, to make the 20 glasses he drank into 19 glasses.
 
The struggle continued over many years, and he eventually reached 2-3 glasses in a day, with which he would still get drunk. For years, the world has only seen an alcoholic monk who scandalized the pilgrims, but God saw a fighter who fought a long struggle to reduce his passion.” (Story of Elder Paisios and the Alcoholic Monk)
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“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.” (Hebrews 12:4)

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

“Be assured, that storms do not last. Winter purifies the weather, kills all the little insects which devour the plants. Your soul seems to be dying in the midst of suffering. That is true, but it is in order to be reborn from its ashes. A soul which loves God lives through death. So have courage! [When we are] on the edge of a precipice, we must not look at the bottom, but look determinedly above; otherwise, we become dizzy. Fix your heart on our Lord. Rest assured that he is there within you, contemplating your struggles and preparing to reward them.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard – Letter to Mrs. Franchet - March 21, 1851)

Rick Hernandez Rick Hernandez is a commonsense Catholic, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and a Director for Elisheba House. He lives in Trinity, Florida, with his wife Ivonne and their children. He also writes for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflections and for Catholicmom.com.

"Make reparation through the Blessed Virgin, begging her heartily at the foot of the Cross. She was offering her son for the world's salvation and offering herself to him. It is there that, for the first time, she is mother of everyone, and their salvation is very dear to her heart. We must offer our Lord the anguish and tears of his mother. It is very easy to offer the Blessed Virgin to our Lord. We must do so, since she is the great mediatrix, becoming one in her."  - Saint Peter Julian Eymard (Letter to the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament)  

"For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn." (Psalm 51:18-19) 

“Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;” (Psalm 51:3) 

“When you love someone, your love is not limited to his times of honor and glory, but partakes of his pains and sorrows. Since you have three adorations daily, set one apart for reparation; it will be the best. You are practicing these two things: adoration and reparation. You are offering yourself and asking grace from the Good Lord, begging his mercy. To have pity on these poor persons is good, but to heal them is better.” - Saint Peter Julian Eymard (Personal notes) 

Laura Catherine Worhacz Laura Catherine Worhacz is a Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament and author of Consecration to Jesus Through Our Lady of The Blessed Sacrament. She is also the Director of Mothers of The Blessed Sacrament. She lives in Trinity, FL with her husband and their two daughters.