Reading I
Ez 47:1-9, 12
The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?”
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
Gospel
Jn 5:1-16
There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
“Do you want to be well?”
The sick man answered him,
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.
Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
“It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”
He answered them, “The man who made me well told me,
‘Take up your mat and walk.’“
They asked him,
“Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
“Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you.”
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath.
Meditation: Ezekiel 47:1-9,12
The prophet Ezekiel paints a picture of a beautiful stream that originates in the Temple and grows deeper and wider as it flows outward.
It begins as an ankle-deep trickle but becomes a river that can only be crossed by swimming. It flows out over the whole land, bringing and sustaining life wherever it goes. It even turns the salty, toxic waters of the Dead Sea into a source of refreshment and promise!
Guess what? We the baptized have been plunged into that very stream. God’s life now flows in us, ready to carry us along.
Where are you in the stream? Ankle deep? In over your head? Somewhere in between? No matter! Wherever you are, God is inviting you to go deeper. Don’t be afraid to wade or jump in, splash around, and get wet. Unlike earthly streams that we have managed to pollute, this stream washes clean everyone who enters it. It can never be sullied, no matter how great the sins we bring into it. That’s because it is the river of God’s mercy.
Where is the water of God’s life touching you today? Are tears of grief, repentance, or rejoicing welling up in you? Perhaps God is inviting you to be scrubbed, cleansed, and renewed by the sacraments, especially Confession. Maybe you’re soaking in the soothing waters of God’s presence, letting the moisture sink into your parched soul. Maybe you’ve jumped in over your head, and it feels as if you’re floundering. (If so, just relax and let the Spirit carry you.)
The next time you come to church, be sure to pause by the font of holy water. If your church keeps it dry during Lent, take time to reflect on your thirst for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit at Easter. If it is filled, pay extra attention as you sign yourself with the cross. On your way out of church, as well, remember that Ezekiel’s stream grows deeper and stronger and more life giving as it leaves the place of worship and flows out into the world God created and loves. That stream is now carrying you, empowering you to be an agent of healing and new life to everyone around you.
“Holy Spirit, I thirst for you. Let the water of your new life flow into me. Let your love flow out through me to renew the world.”
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