In the midst of the vision I received from the Lord, the angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, the water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.
Then the angel brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side.
Going on eastward with a cord in his hand, the man measured one thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.
He said to me, “Mortal, have you seen this?” Then he led me back along the bank of the river. As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many trees on the one side and on the other. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes.
“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.”
R. The mighty Lord is our refuge. or R. The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. R.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. R.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what awesome things he has brought on the earth. R.
There was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew “Beth-zatha,” which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids — blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, Jesus said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 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 making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”
Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.
Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath.
These readings provided courtesy of Living with Christ, Canada’s Companion to Praying and Living the Eucharist.
These readings are intended for personal use and reflection and may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.
The lectionary texts contained herein are from the Lectionary, Sundays and Solemnities © Concacan Inc., 1992, 2009 and the Lectionary, Weekdays © Concacan Inc., 1993, of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
These editions of the Lectionary follow the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typica altera, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanus, 1981. The Scripture quotations contained herein are based on the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Adapted and used by permission. All rights reserved.
Adaptations for liturgical use have been made to selected Scripture texts. These adaptations have been made to bring the readings into conformity with the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typica altera, the Lectionarium and Liturgiam Authenticam, as well as to facilitate proclamation. These adaptations were prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Adaptations copyright © 2009 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.