Reading 1
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.”
Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
Responsorial PsalmR. (8)
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
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
“There was now a river through which I could not wade.” (Ezekiel 47:5)
The Temple had been destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar, the cruel and ruthless ruler of Babylon, had torched it in his conquest of Jerusalem. Yet Ezekiel prophesies a rebuilt Temple. To the people who first heard it, this oracle probably sounded unbelievable. “Here I will dwell among the Israelites forever,” declared the Lord (Ezekiel 43:7). The word “forever” speaks of permanence, security, and invincibility—all sadly wanting when Ezekiel spoke. With the ruin of the Temple rankling in their memories, the people must have considered this an outlandish promise.
Almost as outlandish is the promise that the Holy Spirit can flow freely in our frail, finite souls! But that promise, too, is contained in Ezekiel’s prophecy. Reading this prophecy in the light of Christ, we can see that the river Ezekiel describes is an image of the Holy Spirit. It tells us that we can begin to experience the Spirit’s presence and grace as a tiny trickle that grows wider and deeper as we yield to it. As we wade more deeply into his life, we can experience the Spirit nourishing us and healing us.
“Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature … shall live” (Ezekiel 47:9). Not just live, but thrive and prosper and increase. We will prosper in this river, for it promotes and supports every sort of life, even lives like ours! We will increase in it, for the Spirit always produces growth and abundance. This river never dries up, for it is none other than the eternal God himself. It is permanent. Secure. Invincible. Given to us through the new and everlasting covenant of Christ’s blood, the Holy Spirit is the one constant in this world. He is ever faithful, ever trustworthy, ever flowing.
Why not step into this river today? Ask Jesus to lead you. He will start you gently, in the shallow end, where the water is ankle deep. And every day he will take you one step further, bringing you into ever-deepening waters that can heal, empower, forgive, and restore you. Just follow his lead each day, and soon enough, you’ll be swimming!
“Jesus, lead me deeper into the life of your Spirit today. I want your love to flow over me!”
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