Monday, March 27, 2017
TUESDAY, 4th Week of Lent
March 28, 2017 – TUESDAY, 4th Week of Lent
Violet
Ez 47:1 - 9, 12 I Jn 5:1- 16
FROM THE 1ST READING: Ez 47: 9, 12
Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound.
Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the water comes from the Temple.
FROM THE GOSPEL READING: Jn 5: 1 - 14
After this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there is a pool (called Bethzatha in Hebrew) surrounded by five galleries. In these galleries lay a multitude of sick people - blind, lame and paralyzed.
All are waiting for the water to move, for at times an angel of the Lord would descend into the pool and stir up the water; and the first person to enter after this movement of the water would be healed of whatever disease that person had.
There was a man who had been sick thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him, and since he knew how long this man had been lying there, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" And the sick man answered, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; so while I am still on the way, another steps down before me."
Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his mat and walked.
Now that day happened to be the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had just been healed, "It is the sabbath and the Law doesn't allow you to carry your mat." He answered them, "The one who healed me said to me: 'Take up your mat and walk."'
They asked him, "Who is the one who said to you, 'Take up your mat and walk?"' But the sick man had no idea who it was who had cured him, for Jesus had slipped away among the crowd that filled the place.
Afterwards Jesus met him in the Temple court and told him, "Now you are well; don't sin again, lest something worse happen to you."
REFLECTION
Both readings today speak of life-giving water: the first reading speaks of water from the Temple which gives life to fruit trees and plants; the Gospel reading speaks of an extraordinary pool with special healing power.
In the Gospel reading Jesus cured the sick man but enraged the Jews because he healed on the sabbath and told the cured man to take up his mat, something not allowed on the sabbath.
The Jews did not appreciate Jesus' kindness when he cured the man sick for thirty-eight years: all they saw was Jesus violating the sabbath. How much do we appreciate God's continuing goodness and care for us? Are we hypocrites like the Jewish leaders?
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
AlDEN THOMAS YU AMPIL
OTHER INTENTIONS:
For the healing of Renan Lacida.
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!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
Archive: http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2017 Daily-Homily
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DAILY-HOMILY" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to daily_homily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
