Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Tuesday 4th week of Lent
March 28, 2006
Tuesday 4th week of Lent - Yr II
EZEKIEL 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 cubit sand 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."
JOHN 5:1-16
There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now
there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gatea 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.
REFLECTION
During this time of Lent, one message that comes through to us is that
of cleansing; to be made new, to be refreshed. The first reading
presents us with the vision of a river flowing from beneath the temple.
Its water gives life to all that come into contact with it because
"this water comes from the sanctuary."
Today's Gospel mentions the paralytic by the pool at Bethesda. He was
there because he believed that the water had healing powers. An angel,
the people believed, would stir the water and the first person to get
into the pool after the stirring would be cured of any illness he had.
This paralytic, incapable of lowering himself into the pool and having
no friend or relative who would put him into the water, was however a
man of strong will and deep faith. Sensing the paralytic's firm desire
to be cured, Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk. At that very
moment the man walked.
Jesus manifested himself as the source of the healing, cleansing,
refreshing and renewing water. Acceptance of this as true is the
response Jesus looks for in each of us. God loves us and wants all of
us to be saved. He wants all, not just the good, to be saved. He is
patient with us and allows a special time for the desire to grow within
us. For this reason Jesus chose to heal the paralytic on a Sabbath. As
God saw it, the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray -
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the special intentions of Mike Torres.
- for the personal intentions of Charles and Cheryl C
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- In Memoriam (+): Trinidad Lee Sun
-safe travel of Edwin & Elyza Lopez
-for the personal intention of Elyza Lopez
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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