Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.
 

"Jesus Among the Doctors"
by Paolo Veronese, 1558

Readings for Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22
 
The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward.
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Commentary on Wis 2:1a, 12-22
 
In this passage from Wisdom we see Scripture usually associated with the passion of the Lord. It draws heavily on imagery from the “suffering servant” in Isaiah (Isaiah 52-66 ff). The motives and feelings of those who oppose God are laid bare in clear language.
 
“This section describes the way the ungodly think and behave, and their error in so doing. Righteousness is immortal; but the ungodly think that life ends at death and therefore they try to strike a bargain with death (Wisdom 1:16-2:19). Moreover, they hound the righteous man because he thinks and acts differently from the way they do (Wisdom 2:10-20). They have no idea what life is all about (Wisdom 2:21-24).” [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23
 
R. (19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
 
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
 
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
 
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
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Commentary on Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23
 
Psalm 34 is generally a song of thanksgiving; however, this selection is more from the wisdom tradition (see Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22). We hear the results of the actions of the evildoers, whose motives were made clear, and how the Lord supports the just person.
 
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Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
 
Jesus moved about within Galilee;
he did not wish to travel in Judea,
because the Jews were trying to kill him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
 
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,
he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
 
Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,
"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.
Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
But we know where he is from.
When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,
"You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come.
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Commentary on Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
 
Jesus leaves Galilee for the last time and goes down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Tabernacles. He goes, knowing there is a plot to kill him. The suggestion in v. 10 is that he did not come with the fanfare that would have normally been associated with a prominent teacher or prophet.  Still, he is recognized by his teachings in the temple area by people who know of him, and the negative view the Sanhedrin has about him. There is an ironic statement by St. John: “Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?”
 
Jesus challenges the Jews' understanding that the Christ (Messiah) would reveal himself “suddenly and unmistakably, and that prior to this manifestation he would be completely hidden.” The Lord proclaims himself to be the one who was foretold and says further that they know what he is talking about.
 
The fact that they cannot arrest him testifies to the fact that the crowd, at least, was divided on his identity. The authorities would not have wanted to stir up controversy in the middle of the celebration of a major feast.
 
CCC: Jn 7:1 583; Jn 7:10 583
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Reflection:
 
We see, in St. John’s account of Jesus’ return to Jerusalem, the great passion the Lord has for the mission upon which he had been sent.  Since his baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist, Jesus has had only one goal, to reveal to the Father’s creation that he loves them. He reveals that the law and the prophets are an attempt to show the people how to imitate the love of God in order for them to live in his peace and to inherit the Kingdom of God, coming there at last, at the end of this world. 
 
That was his purpose in coming in a nutshell.  It is clear in the stories from the Gospels that coming as he did, “taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance” (Philippians 2: 7), Jesus saw with those human eyes that his mission was not close to being accomplished.  The emotion of this realization is captured by St. John’s Gospel: “So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, 'You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.'"
 
The Lord fairly begs the people present to understand the mission with which he is charged. But they do not see.  They are weak and afraid.  They had heard that this man was dangerous and that the chief priests wanted him dead.  Even so, we are surprised they did not arrest him when he revealed himself.
 
It is the purpose of Christ’s mission to reward our faith in him, and that reward is not given without faith and trust.  It is a great irony that, to find salvation, we must be willing to accept, on faith, that the gift of faith yields this great prize.  And as the Lord “cries out” to us to accept his mission and example, we find the real purpose in our Lenten journey.  We are to cast away our fear and weakness and accept the offer God has issued through his Only Son.
 
This, we know, is a very hard thing to do.  Human weakness is built into us all.  The need to conform to the group satisfies an internal urge to be loved, and often the group is not guided by the divine will of Christ so we fail.  But the Lord continues to cry out to us. He continues to open the way for us.  So great is his love that he accepts our blemishes, our weakness, and our fear, cherishing us even in our sin.  It is his unwavering fidelity that often confuses us.  We cannot understand how one so pure could love us.
 
To our continuing amazement, we recognize rationally that he is still crying out to us, calling us home to him, and we pledge ourselves once more to respond.  We offer that response as our prayer today.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture today is "Jesus Among the Doctors" by Paolo Veronese, 1558.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Wisdom Books” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p.310.

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

“The Infant Jesus Distributing Bread to Pilgrims”
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

 
Readings for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Exodus 32:7-14
 
The LORD said to Moses,
“Go down at once to your people
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,
for they have become depraved.
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,
sacrificing to it and crying out,
‘This is your God, O Israel,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’
The LORD said to Moses,
“I see how stiff-necked this people is.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.
Then I will make of you a great nation.”
 
But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
“Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Why should the Egyptians say,
‘With evil intent he brought them out,
that he might kill them in the mountains
and exterminate them from the face of the earth’?
Let your blazing wrath die down;
relent in punishing your people.
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’“
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ex 32:7-14
 
Setting the stage for the dialogue between God and Moses, the stiff-necked people God has brought out of Egypt and slavery have once more strayed from faith.  Moses’ long absence from them has been allowed to turn them to idolatry, and Aaron has set up a golden calf proclaiming: “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:4b)
 
“Yahweh informs Moses of the people's sin; these verses must originate from a source other than that of v.18, where Moses appears ignorant of what is happening in the camp. Yahweh has divorced himself from this sinful people, for he refers to them as "your people." He intends to destroy the wicked and form a new nation. Moses now assumes the role of mediator and appeals to God's honor for his own name before the pagan nations as a motive to prevent the destruction of his people. As a second motive, Moses recalls the promises accorded to Abraham. We note, however, the subsequent conflicting elements of the punishments invoked by Moses (Exodus 32:20, 25-29) and the testimony of Yahweh (Exodus 32:34).” [4]
 
CCC: Ex 32 210; Ex 32:1-34:9 2577
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
 
 R. (4a)  Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
 
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
 
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
 
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
 
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Commentary on Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
 
Psalm 106 is a national lament remembering the events from Exodus 32:7-14, where the Jews, brought out of Egypt by Moses, fell into idol worship, even as he received the Law on Mt. Horeb. The psalmist reminds the people that Moses interceded and turned away God’s wrath.
 
CCC: Ps 106:23 2577
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Gospel: John 5:31-47
 
Jesus said to the Jews:
“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.
But there is another who testifies on my behalf,
and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.
You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept human testimony,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John’s.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.
Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.
But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
and you do not have his word remaining in you,
because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.
You search the Scriptures,
because you think you have eternal life through them;
even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life.
“I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another
and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:
the one who will accuse you is Moses,
in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses,
you would have believed me,
because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 5:31-47
 
Jesus continues his discourse as his revelation continues. He now focuses on testimony other than his own to demonstrate that he is the Son of God. He starts with John the Baptist and then moves to the works he has performed in the Father’s name, indicating that those actions give testimony that he is from God. Jesus finally points to Holy Scripture and tells the Jews that even Scripture testifies to his identity.
 
In the final section of this passage, Jesus chastises the Jews for their lack of belief in him. He points out that he did not come seeking praise or glory for his own sake (“I do not accept human praise”). He goes on to tell them they do not see the truth but will believe a lie if it conforms to what they believe the truth should be (“you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him”).
 
The logic of the Lord’s words in the final verses crashes down on them. If they reject Jesus in favor of the glory that comes from false prophets, then he does not need to condemn them; they are self-condemned. He tells them that if they believed Moses (the author of revelation in the Old Testament) they would believe in him (Jesus) and are now condemned by Moses as well, because by rejecting Jesus, they have disbelieved the word of Moses.
 
CCC: Jn 5:33 719; Jn 5:36 548, 582; Jn 5:39 702; Jn 5:46 702
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Reflection:
 
Jesus, in throwing the words of Moses into the face of the Hebrews who would not accept him as the Messiah, also challenges each of us.  While we profess our faith in him as avowed Christians, by his words and example he asks us if we truly believe he is our Savior.  He says: “The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”  We must ask ourselves: do our works testify that we are sent by Christ?
 
Through our Lenten discipline of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving it should be clear to those we meet that we are practicing Christians.  But we must ask ourselves: do we try to hide that fact?  Are we a little embarrassed to show our faith to the neighbor across the street or the co-worker in the next cubicle?  Do we clearly work as Christ would if he were employed in our jobs, or given the same tasks to fulfill?
 
Jesus had to work very hard to change the minds of the Jews.  They thought of God the Father as the punisher who had killed off an entire generation wandering in the desert.  They thought of him as a harsh judge, allowing innocent people to be deformed and humiliated because of the sins of their ancestors.  Jesus works to change that image through his own sacrifice.  He is the love of the Father personified.
 
If we accept this new image of God, given to us in Christ’s revelation, we must act in ways that demonstrate this belief.  We cannot hide Christ’s love under a basket or shrink away from opportunities to show others whom we believe in.  This is the great challenge the Lord throws down once more in Scripture.  We are called to testify to the Father and Son through what we do, not just what we say in the darkness of our evening prayers.
 
Let that be our pledge.  Let us testify to the world through our actions that we truly believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross
 

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[1] The picture is “The Infant Jesus Distributing Bread to Pilgrims” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1678.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968, 3:90, p. 65.

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass texts are offered.

“Madonna and Child with the Lamb of God”
by Cesare da Sesto, 1515

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Isaiah 49:8-15
 
Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
 
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
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Commentary on Is 49:8-15
 
This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second “Servant of the Lord” oracles. In this segment, the servant promises salvation to the captives and light to those in darkness. He has led the people by pleasant and safe paths and has shown mercy. The response from Zion is “the Lord has forsaken me,” to which we hear the tender response: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness are assured.
 
CCC: Is 49:13 716; Is 49:14-15 219 , 370; Is 49:15 239
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18
 
 R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18
 
This song of praise has an acrostic pattern (aleph, beth, etc.). In the first strophes the goodness of the Lord is extolled, quoting Exodus 34:6-7. God’s covenant is extended to all peoples. The passage continues celebrating God’s mercy to those who are “bowed down” – overcome by hardship –and concludes with the psalmist’s faith in God’s faithfulness to those who call upon him in genuine need.
 
CCC: Ps 145:9 295, 342
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Gospel: John 5:17-30
 
Jesus answered the Jews:
“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
 
“I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.”
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Commentary on Jn 5:17-30
 
In the Gospel from John, Jesus has already angered the Jews by violating the Sabbath. (This passage immediately follows the story about the cure of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda.) Now he really upsets them by apparently blaspheming, saying God is his own Father. Almost as if to cement his fate, he makes sure we understand that he did not make that statement casually. Rather he paints a complete analogy of biological father and son. Jesus goes on to state that the authority to judge the actions and lives of others has also been given to him. The inheritance is complete.
 
Failure to hear and believe will result in resurrection to condemnation. "Another work of the Son is that of judgment, a divine prerogative that the father has given him (cf. John 3:35).  Again it is brought out (cf. John 3:18) that judgment takes place not only at the end of time but in the here and now, on the basis of acceptance or rejection of Christ." [4]
 
The passage concludes with the promise of salvation to those who hear and understand; that salvation is eternal life.
 
CCC: Jn 5:16-18 594; Jn 5:18 574, 589; Jn 5:19 859, 1063; Jn 5:22 679; Jn 5:24-25 994; Jn 5:24 1470; Jn 5:25 635; Jn 5:26 612, 679; Jn 5:27 679; Jn 5:28-29 1038; Jn 5:29 998; Jn 5:30 859, 2824
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Reflection:
 
The oracle of the “Servant of the Lord” from Isaiah predicts the statement made by Jesus in the Gospel.  The servant comes, according to the prophet, to lead the people by safe paths to salvation.  He even predicts the lack of recognition by Zion. They have forgotten God’s earlier mercies in bringing the people out of bondage in Egypt, and now cry out that God has forsaken them.
 
In the Gospel, Jesus has revealed that he is the Son of God in unequivocal terms.  He goes further to say that God has willed to His Son the authority to judge, the ability to hand out rewards for faithfulness, and punishment for wickedness.  Just as Isaiah uses the analogy of parent and child at the end of the first reading (“Can a mother forget her infant”), Jesus makes it clear that he is the Son of God, and the power and authority that is in the Father is also in the Son.  Unequivocally they are one; an extension of one another.
 
From a practical perspective we must ask ourselves: what must we do in response to the scriptural message?  The answer is also scriptural. The Lord calls on us to cease our unbelief and believe. In this belief there is a great blessing, because just as the Lord reserves the right of judgment at the end of time, he also judges in the here and now.  His promise of the resurrection starts, not just when we die, but even now.  His judgment, which can bring blessed peace or the groan of pain, begins in this life and extends to eternal life.
 
We say to this: “But I do believe.” 
 
And the Lord will say, “By your actions I will know you.” 
 
Today’s Scripture reminds us of the promise of eternal life and encourages us not to forget the good things the Lord has already done for us.  He has given us life and we praise him.  He has given us the path to salvation, and we praise him.  He has laid down his human life for us, endured suffering and death, so that we might join him with all the angels and saints and be spared from condemnation.
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross
 

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[1] The picture is “Madonna and Child with the Lamb of God” by Cesare da Sesto, 1515.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 63:84, p. 434.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

 
During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

“Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda”
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1667-70

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 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.”
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Commentary on Ez 47:1-9, 12
 
This vision from Ezekiel alludes to one faith, the one stream flowing from the temple into the Kedron Valley, which is normally a dry wash. The imagery applied here 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 then restarted with Moses striking the stone in the desert during the Exodus (Numbers 20:11), and finally 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.
 
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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.
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Commentary on Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
 
Psalm 46 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we see the analogy also presented in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12) as the Lord is praised for supporting the people with his strength and creation.
 
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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.
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Commentary on Jn 5:1-16
 
This passage 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 faith in Judaism. When Jesus first approached the paralytic, he complained that he could not get to the waters at the pool called Bethesda “when they were stirred up.” This is taken from a belief at the time that periodically an angel 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.
 
CCC: Jn 5:1 583; Jn 5:10 575; Jn 5:14 583; Jn 5:16-18 594
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Reflection:
 
As population pressure continues to strain the resources of the world, one of the most important commodities seeming to be in short supply is potable water, that is water clean enough to drink and to cook with without becoming sick, not to mention bathing.  In many developing countries water means the difference between life and death.  Without it, human beings perish in short order.  Without water crops don’t grow and livestock also die.  In short, water is truly the source of physical life.  It is so important that determining its presence is a singular goal of space exploration. We look for it on the moon and Mars, seeing its presence as the key to establishing a long term presence on those bodies.
 
In Scripture the term is used metaphorically and symbolically but with the same emphasis. Without faith, represented by water, there can be no life.  The Prophet Ezekiel saw this in his vision with the metaphor of a garden flourishing along the stream that was faith in God, flowing from the temple.  Jesus later redefined the temple as residing in the New Jerusalem, and the faith that flows into the world springs from a wound in his side as a soldier’s lance opened that source. Just as surely as Moses' staff brought water from the rock as sign of God’s love in the desert, the water flowing from the side of Jesus as he gave up his life expressed his love.  It was even used in the movie Noah (which I do not recommend except for the special effects – a film in which the names should have been changed to protect the truth).
 
The interesting thing about this metaphor of the river of faith is that it has some additional lessons to teach us as we examine the analogy more closely.  First, the stream can be fouled if people try to throw contaminants in upstream.  This could be analogized by attempting to put things in that do not belong, twisting the faith to one’s own purpose as we see in some unscrupulous evangelists.  Water can likewise be diverted from its course, bottled up and sold to those who can afford it.  We can use our own imaginations here as to the meaning of this sort of misuse.
 
Perhaps one of the more interesting analogies about flowing water is that it can naturally pool when it gets to a depression, temporarily halting its progress.  This happens when it reaches a person or group that is afraid to let it flow through them to others; that person or group feels it is necessary to become insulated, trying to shut out the world but at the same time, denying water its course.  They don’t realize that it is the actual flow that is necessary.  Without it the water can become stagnant and foul; contained too long it can actually become deadly.
 
When we recognize that in order for our faith to remain vibrant and alive it must flow though us, we act on that knowledge, passing on what we have been freely given.  Our prayer this day is that what we have received, we can pass on faithfully in our words, our actions, and our prayers.
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross
 

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[1] The picture is “Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1667-70.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.