In today's first reading, Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12, and angel brought the prophet to the entrance of the temple, from which the prophet sees water flowing east from beneath its threshold. The angel has Ezekiel wade into the water, measuring off 1000 cubits three times and each time the water gains depth until Ezekiel is unable to wade it in. The angel shows Ezekiel the produce growing by the river and tells him that this river flows into the salt waters of the Arabah, making these waters fresh, thus supporting an abundance of fish. "Along both banks of the river," the angel says, "fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month, they shall fear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine!"
This abundance of God's gift of live is also spoken of the today's Gospel, John 5: 1-6, where, in Jerusalem at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus encounters a man who had been ill for 38 years. Anyone who gets down to the pool while the waters are stirred up is healed. This man is too crippled to reach the pool before someone else does. Jesus says to him: "Do you want to be well?" The crippled man explains his situation and Jesus says: "Rise, take up your mat, and walk." He is made whole!
Obviously, the water flowing from the threshold of the temple and in the pool of Bethesda brings to mind the healing waters of baptism. The abundance of fruit trees that grow on the banks of the river and that never fade bring to mind the Eucharistic food with which we are fed at every Liturgy and whenever we meditate on the Scriptures and/or take time to bask in God's love in quiet prayer--all empowers us, strengthens us, restores us to health and purifies us to live the Gospel in our various vocations: marriage, religious life priesthood, single life and the diaconate!
What a glorious God!
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