March 23, 2004 - Tuesday, 4th Week of Lent

THE WATERS OF PARADISE

Readings:
Ez 47:1-9, 12; Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; Jn 5:1-3, 5-16

Introduction

Water flows from the Temple and turns the land into a fertile paradise, bringing health and life, says Ezekiel. But this living Temple is Christ, says John. Encountering him means forgiveness, health, and life. These readings on the symbolism of life-giving water and on Christ have been chosen in view of baptism, the Lenten-Easter sacrament: in its waters we encounter Christ.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you have quenched our thirst for life
with the water of baptism.
Keep turning the desert of our arid lives
into a paradise of joy and peace,
that we may bear fruits
of holiness, justice and love.
Lord, hear our prayer
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Scripture Readings

First Reading: 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."

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

R (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 Reading: Jn 5:1-16

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 were 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 for 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 my way, another steps down before me."

Jesus then 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." And the man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. So the Jews persecuted Jesus because he performed healings like that on the Sabbath.

Commentary

"DO you want to be healed?" Jesus asked him. This seems an odd question when you consider that the man had been waiting for thirty-eight years to be healed! But of course we often have compelling reasons for clinging to our sicknesses. You will no longer have people to take you around: do you want to be healed? You will no longer have sympathy from everyone: do you want to be healed? You will have to work, and you are not used to it: do you want to be healed?

He wanted to be healed. Then Jesus said, "Stand up!" This too seems odd at first sight. Jesus was asking him to do the very thing he could not do!

Then the miracle happened: the man made to stand up. He overcame the habits-physical and mental-of more than half a lifetime. His mind and will said, "Stand!" That was an amazing achievement. Then, when he made to stand up, he found that he could! The miracle was not worked "on" him, it was worked "with" him. This is not to say that it was just mind over matter. It was the presence of Jesus, but that presence in this case required the full conscious presence of the paralyzed man.

What does it say to us? The very thing we can't do is sometimes the only thing worth doing.

General Intercessions

- For people who are blind to the defects of their hearts and to the needs of their neighbor, we pray:

- For people who are paralyzed by their fears and their lack of courage, we pray:

- For the physically handicapped, those who are blind, lame and paralyzed, that they may move the hearts of people and keep up their trust in God, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus comes among us
in these signs of bread and wine.
May he be for us
the source of living water
from which we can drink
until we are satisfied,
that we may turn this earth
into a hospitable place,
which gives us a foretaste
of your eternal paradise.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
we have encountered your Son
in this eucharistic celebration.
May he say to us too:
"Pick up your sleeping mat and walk,"
and may we indeed walk
at the word of your Son
and go to you his way
of goodness, justice and peace.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Blessing

"Do you want to be made well?" Jesus asks the paralyzed man and us. Of course, we say yes. And like the paralyzed person, may we say yes and find people to help us and trust in God to let him make us better people and better Christians. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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