March 17, 2015

Reading

Ezekiel   47: 1-9, 12

47:1	And he turned me back to the gate of the house. And behold, waters went out, from under the threshold of the house, toward the east. For the face of the house looked toward the east. But the waters descended on the right side of the temple, toward the south of the altar.
47:2	And he led me out, along the way of the north gate, and he turned me back toward the way outside the exterior gate, the way which looked toward the east. And behold, the waters overflowed on the right side.
47:3	Then the man who held the rope in his hand departed toward the east, and he measured one thousand cubits. And he led me forward, through the water, up to the ankles.
47:4	And again he measured one thousand, and he led me forward, through the water, up to the knees.
47:5	And he measured one thousand, and he led me forward, through the water, up to the waist. And he measured one thousand, into a torrent, through which I was not able to pass. For the waters had risen to become a profound torrent, which was not able to be crossed.
47:6	And he said to me: “Son of man, certainly you have seen.” And he led me out, and he turned me back to the bank of the torrent.
47:7	And when I had turned myself around, behold, on the bank of the torrent, there were very many trees on both sides.
47:8	And he said to me: “These waters, which go forth toward the hillocks of sand to the east, and which descend to the plains of the desert, will enter the sea, and will go out, and the waters will be healed.
47:9	And every living soul that moves, wherever the torrent arrives, will live. And there will be more than enough fish, after these waters have arrived there, and they will be healed. And all things will live, where the torrent arrives.
47:12	And above the torrent, on its banks on both sides, every kind of fruit tree will rise up. Their foliage will not fall away, and

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According to John    5: 1-16

5:1	After these things, there was a feast day of the Jews, and so Jesus ascended to Jerusalem.
5:2	Now at Jerusalem is the Pool of Evidence, which in Hebrew is known as the Place of Mercy; it has five porticos.
5:3	Along these lay a great multitude of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the withered, waiting for the movement of the water.
5:4	Now at times an Angel of the Lord would descend into the pool, and so the water was moved. And whoever descended first into the pool, after the motion of the water, he was healed of whatever infirmity held him.
5:5	And there was a certain man in that place, having been in his infirmity for thirty-eight years.
5:6	Then, when Jesus had seen him reclining, and when he realized that he had been afflicted for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
5:7	The invalid answered him: “Lord, I do not have any man to put me in the pool, when the water has been stirred. For as I am going, another descends ahead of me.”
5:8	Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your stretcher, and walk.”
5:9	And immediately the man was healed. And he took up his stretcher and walked. Now this day was the Sabbath.
5:10	Therefore, the Jews said to the one who had been healed: “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to take up your stretcher.”
5:11	He answered them, “The one who healed me, he said to me, ‘Take up your stretcher and walk.’ ”
5:12	Therefore, they questioned him, “Who is that man, who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk?’ ”
5:13	But the one who had been given health did not know who it was. For Jesus had turned aside from the crowd gathered in that place.
5:14	Afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple, and he said to him: “Behold, you have been healed. Do not choose to sin further, otherwise something worse may happen to you.”
5:15	This man went away, and he reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had given him health.
5:16	Because of this, the Jews were persecuting Jesus, for he was doing these things on the Sabbath.