Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern 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 southern 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."
Psalms 46(45),2-3.5-6.8-9.
God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day.
The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5,1-3.5-16.
After this, 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.
GO OUT INTO THE DEEP
"Do you want to be healed?" –John 5:6
Jesus didn't ask the sick man: "Do you want to be sick?" The sick man, and most people, would answer with a resounding "No." Jesus asked him, and asks us, "Do you want to be healed?" (Jn 5:6) The sick man didn't answer "Yes." Perhaps he wanted to be rid of his sickness, but didn't want to change the lifestyle of limitations and sin (Jn 5:14) that he'd built around his sickness. He had a soul sickness as well as a physical sickness.
It's not in Jesus' nature to do a half-healing. He won't limit Himself to only heal what's causing you the most pain. In addition to healing your knee, He'll also insist on healing your relationship with your father. You go into Jesus' emergency room to be healed of high blood pressure, and He first talks about healing you of unforgiveness toward someone who hurt you "thirty-eight years" ago (Jn 5:5). You want to stick your toe into healing water (Jn 5:2ff), and Jesus wants to sweep you away in His healing river of life (Ez 47:5, 12), to baptize, to immerse you.
Jesus stands at your door (see Rv 3:20) and asks you: "Do you want to be healed? Do you want overflowing, abundant life? (Jn 10:10) Whatever is lifeless in you, I will make fresh and new (Ez 47:9). In My healing, I will heal you and free you of spending your life hidden beneath the shroud of sickness, depression, anxiety, and fear of death (Heb 2:15). I will heal you for evangelization, and give you the power to witness to Me and pierce hearts by speaking My prophetic word. I will make you a light for the world (Mt 5:14). Answer, My child! Do you want to be healed?"
Saint Ephrem (c.306-373), Deacon in Syria, Doctor of the Church
5th Hymn for Epiphany
Go down, my brothers, and put on the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism;
be united with those spiritual beings who serve our God.
Blessed be He who instituted baptism for the forgiveness of Adam’s sons!
This water is the secret fire that marks his flock with a sign:
with the three, spiritual names that confound the Evil one (cf. Rev 3,12)…
John bore witness concerning our Saviour: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3,11).
Here, my brethren, in the true baptism, is that fire and that Spirit.
For baptism is more powerful than Jordan, that little stream;
its waves of water and oil wash away all human sin.
Elisha, by initiating it seven times, purified Naaman of his leprosy (2Kgs 5,10);
whereas baptism purifies us of sins hidden in our souls.
Moses baptized the people in the sea (1Cor 10,2)
yet could not cleanse their hearts from within,
Stained, as they were, by sin.
And now here is a priest, like Moses, who cleanses the soul from its stains
and with oil he marks with a sign lambs newborn for the Kingdom…
With the water that flowed from the rock, the people’s thirst was quelled (Ex 17,1f.);
See how, through Christ and his spring, is quenched the thirst of nations …
See how, from Christ’s side, there flows a life-giving stream (Jn 19,34);
peoples who thirst have drunk from it and there forgot their affliction.
Pour your dew on my weakness, Lord;
By your blood, forgive my sins.
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