Jesus said to His disciples:"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward." (Mark 9: 41).
Imagine what a cup of water can do! I have often been amazed at the low threshold of actions mandated by God in order to enter the Kingdom of God:
+ Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12: 31).
+ Be poor in spirit. (Matthew 5: 3).
+ Suffer persecution patiently for the sake of the Kingdom. (Matthew 5: 10).
None of the above or similar precepts in the Gospels can remotely compare with the grave hazards of the gold rush that happened in America about 150 years ago. A man packed his wife and children and transported them with all their property from New York for example to California for the promise of finding a gold mine in a desert.
Jesus, the true and faithful witness (Revelation 1: 5) promises that if you give a cup of cold water to any of His disciples, your reward will be great. When I was a salesman knocking on doors often sweating from the summer heat, it had felt so sweet to be offered a bottle of cold water. The cash value of the water would have been no more than 20 cents but for me, the value is inestimable. I returned the favor by having Mass offered for the person and the company.
"O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me." (Psalm 13: 6).
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