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Today's Readings
Reading I
Ez 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.”
Responsorial 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.
Gospel
Jn 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 ears. 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. |
