Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 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 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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ez 47:1-9, 12
In this vision from Ezekiel the allusion is made to one faith – the one stream flowing from the temple into the Kedron Valley which is normally a dry wash. The imagery used has been used in other places in scripture (Amos 9 :13; Joel 4:18; Zechariah 14:8; Psalm 36:9--10; Revelation 22:1) and probably represents the water flowing from the Garden of Eden first stopped by Original Sin, re-started with Moses striking the 12 stones in the desert during the Exodus and finally here in Jerusalem in the end times, the Eschaton. The analogy is to one faith flowing into the world bringing life and well-being to any who partake
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
Psalm 46 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we see the analogy presented in the reading from Ezekiel referenced as the Lord is praised for supporting the people with his strength and creation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: 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 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 5:1-16
The Gospel from St. John is the third sign used in the Lord’s self-revelation. Jesus cures the paralytic by his word, something that could not be accomplished by the waters of Judaism. When Jesus first approached the paralytic he complained that he could not get to the waters “when they were stirred up”. This is taken from a belief at the time that, periodically, and angle of God would come down and stir up the waters of the pool and the first person to touch them in that state was cured.
It is explicitly mentioned that Jesus does this on the Sabbath which precipitates the controversy with the Jewish leadership. It is also noteworthy that Jesus does not say to the paralytic that his sin has caused his condition – he tells him “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." This last reference is probably to final judgment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today is a study in sensitivity and how our life circumstances shape our attitudes and ideas. In the Gospel story we hear the third sign of Jesus’ revelation of himself as the Son of God. The healing of the paralytic shows once more the power God has over the natural world. But the scene also demonstrates something else. The sick man responds to Jesus when he is asked if he wants to get well "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."
According to this account the man had been there, presumably for part of the day, for thirty eight years. In that time no one had helped him get to the pool at the proper time. Had he asked for help? Had be been simply ignored? There are many metaphors that are contained within this setting that could be explored (the idea that he had been trying to get to the pool for that number “thirty eight” just short of forty, the Hebrew symbol for a generation span; the idea that he could not come to the pool because it was too hard as a metaphor for the faith). But let’s look at this more pragmatically. Let’s ask why no one came to his aid. Even if the period stated, thirty eight years, was symbolic, the man, again according to the account, had been sick a long time. Did no one that came to that place of healing have compassion for this man?
Do we do the same to others not recognizing our own inattention to the circumstances of others? There was recently a large event at which a noteworthy speaker gave a presentation. He gave an inspired talk about elements of our faith. During the course of this enthusiastic presentation he asked on a couple of occasions if members of his audience had been to the places in the holy land or the surrounding areas he was speaking about; concluding with “You should go!”
Perhaps it was because he was with a fairly sophisticated audience but I wonder now if he would have made the same suggestion if he was speaking to a group of migrant workers in a camp. “You should go!” He probably had not realized or considered that there were those in his audience facing extreme hardship because of job loss or other economic factors. To dramatize this, and not to be critical of the speaker because I am now speaking to myself, it is like Marie-Antoinette who is said to have told her subjects when informed they were starving for lack of bread; “Let them eat cake.” Her detachment form the plight of others caused her to say something that would later be seen as almost laughable for its insensitivity.
How many times do we walk past the paralytic, using him as a metaphor for our brothers and sisters in need? How many times have we become desensitized or oblivious to the plights of others because we take for granted the blessings we have been given? We are called to follow Jesus’ example. Unlike the multitudes that walked past the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, he stopped and saw the need. We are called to that same vigilance; that same sensitivity to the needs of others and in doing so, bring Jesus to them.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ Healing the Paralytic” by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, 1730-32
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 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 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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ez 47:1-9, 12
In this vision from Ezekiel the allusion is made to one faith – the one stream flowing from the temple into the Kedron Valley which is normally a dry wash. The imagery used has been used in other places in scripture (Amos 9 :13; Joel 4:18; Zechariah 14:8; Psalm 36:9--10; Revelation 22:1) and probably represents the water flowing from the Garden of Eden first stopped by Original Sin, re-started with Moses striking the 12 stones in the desert during the Exodus and finally here in Jerusalem in the end times, the Eschaton. The analogy is to one faith flowing into the world bringing life and well-being to any who partake
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
Psalm 46 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we see the analogy presented in the reading from Ezekiel referenced as the Lord is praised for supporting the people with his strength and creation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: 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 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 5:1-16
The Gospel from St. John is the third sign used in the Lord’s self-revelation. Jesus cures the paralytic by his word, something that could not be accomplished by the waters of Judaism. When Jesus first approached the paralytic he complained that he could not get to the waters “when they were stirred up”. This is taken from a belief at the time that, periodically, and angle of God would come down and stir up the waters of the pool and the first person to touch them in that state was cured.
It is explicitly mentioned that Jesus does this on the Sabbath which precipitates the controversy with the Jewish leadership. It is also noteworthy that Jesus does not say to the paralytic that his sin has caused his condition – he tells him “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." This last reference is probably to final judgment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today is a study in sensitivity and how our life circumstances shape our attitudes and ideas. In the Gospel story we hear the third sign of Jesus’ revelation of himself as the Son of God. The healing of the paralytic shows once more the power God has over the natural world. But the scene also demonstrates something else. The sick man responds to Jesus when he is asked if he wants to get well "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."
According to this account the man had been there, presumably for part of the day, for thirty eight years. In that time no one had helped him get to the pool at the proper time. Had he asked for help? Had be been simply ignored? There are many metaphors that are contained within this setting that could be explored (the idea that he had been trying to get to the pool for that number “thirty eight” just short of forty, the Hebrew symbol for a generation span; the idea that he could not come to the pool because it was too hard as a metaphor for the faith). But let’s look at this more pragmatically. Let’s ask why no one came to his aid. Even if the period stated, thirty eight years, was symbolic, the man, again according to the account, had been sick a long time. Did no one that came to that place of healing have compassion for this man?
Do we do the same to others not recognizing our own inattention to the circumstances of others? There was recently a large event at which a noteworthy speaker gave a presentation. He gave an inspired talk about elements of our faith. During the course of this enthusiastic presentation he asked on a couple of occasions if members of his audience had been to the places in the holy land or the surrounding areas he was speaking about; concluding with “You should go!”
Perhaps it was because he was with a fairly sophisticated audience but I wonder now if he would have made the same suggestion if he was speaking to a group of migrant workers in a camp. “You should go!” He probably had not realized or considered that there were those in his audience facing extreme hardship because of job loss or other economic factors. To dramatize this, and not to be critical of the speaker because I am now speaking to myself, it is like Marie-Antoinette who is said to have told her subjects when informed they were starving for lack of bread; “Let them eat cake.” Her detachment form the plight of others caused her to say something that would later be seen as almost laughable for its insensitivity.
How many times do we walk past the paralytic, using him as a metaphor for our brothers and sisters in need? How many times have we become desensitized or oblivious to the plights of others because we take for granted the blessings we have been given? We are called to follow Jesus’ example. Unlike the multitudes that walked past the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, he stopped and saw the need. We are called to that same vigilance; that same sensitivity to the needs of others and in doing so, bring Jesus to them.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ Healing the Paralytic” by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, 1730-32
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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