Fourth Week of Lent
12th March 2024 (Tuesday)
Psalter: Week 4
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
In those days: [The Angel] brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me round on the outside to the outer gate that faces towards the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. Going on eastwards with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows towards the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 (R. 8)
R/. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Verse Before The Gospel
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/.Create a pure heart for me, O God; restore in me the joy of your salvation.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel : John 5:1-16
There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterwards Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Waters stir up!
Guidelines: When we allow God’s grace to encounter us and flow upon us, we will not remain sick or invalid. We will be healed and start walking with vigour
1. In both the readings, from Ezekiel and John’s gospel, we have the mention of water. In the former, it is a temple river and in the gospel, it is a pool. What is common is that the water is resurging and healing. Where the river flows, everything lives, remains fresh, grows, and bears fruits. And the pool heals every invalid that gets into it.
2. This water symbolizes God’s grace. It is always flowing and available. But, many do not get to it because they are invalid. This invalidity is no more the physical but the spiritual. It is by sin. That is why, Jesus tells the healed invalid, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you”.
3. We need not infer that he was invalid because he sinned. It is a possibility. But what is more important here to note is Sin makes us invalid. It makes us immobile and tepid toward God’s grace. Sin sickens and invalidates us.
4. We need to seek healing by throwing ourselves into the waters of grace. The length of 38 years of invalidity is shocking. The man had been there by the side of the healing pool for 38 years and still could not get healing.
5. This length of duration shows the insensitivity of the people who did not help him into the pool. The invalid man lost in this heavy competition for healing. On the other hand, we must also appreciate his persistence and undying hope. He never gives up hope and never stops trying.
6. The question of Jesus, “Do you want to be healed?” looks silly because who does not want to be healed? Here the point is we need to personally desire to be healed. We need to feel the need to be healed.
7. We must desire to get up from our beds and start walking. We need to shake off our lethargy to glue to our beds of negligence, indifference, and sloth.
Practice: Am I too long accustomed to sin that I do not want to move from my bed of comfort zone and convenience? Do I realize that I am invalid in so many ways, failing in my fervour for God and others?
