Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Ezekiel 47.1-9,12

The angel brought me back to the gate of the temple,
and behold waters flowed out
from under the threshold of the temple toward the east
(for the front of the house looked toward the east),
but the waters came down to the south side of the temple
to the south part of the altar.

And he led me out by the way of the north gate,
and he took me to the outward gate
which looked toward the east,
and behold water was trickling out on the south side.

He went out eastward with the line in his hand.
He measured one thousand cubits
and had me to pass through the waters,
waters that were up to the ankles.
Again he measured one thousand
and had me to pass through the waters,
waters that were up to the knees.
Again he measured one thousand
and had me to pass through waters,
waters that were up to the waist.
Afterward he measured one thousand,
but it was a river that I could not pass through,
for the waters had risen.
They were waters to swim in,
a river that could not be waded through.
He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen?”
Then he brought me
and had me return to the bank of the river.
Now when I had returned, behold,
on the bank of the river were very many trees
on the one side and on the other.

And he said to me,
“These waters flow toward the east
and go down to the Arabah,
and go into the sea.
Where it enters the sea, the water will be fresh,
and every living creature whatsoever that crawls
will live wherever the river goes
and there shall be abundant fish.
Where this river goes, the water will become fresh,
and all things shall live.

And by the river, on its banks,
on both sides
all fruit-bearing trees will grow.
Their leaf shall not fall off, and their fruit shall not fail.
Every month they will bring forth fruit,
because they will be watered from the flow out of the sanctuary,
and their fruit shall be for food, and their leaves for medicine.

Responsorial - Psalm 46:2-3,5-6,8-9 Resp. 8

R. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our protector.

Our God is our refuge and strength,
a helper in troubles, which have found us exceedingly.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth quakes,
and the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.

R. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our protector.

The stream of the river makes the city of God joyful,
the most High has sanctified his own dwelling.
God is in the midst of it; it shall not be disturbed.
God will help it in the early morning.

R. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our protector.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our protector.
Come and behold the works of the Lord,
the wonders he has done upon earth,

R. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our protector.

Gospel – John 5.1-16

There was a feast of the Jews,
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate,
there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”,
having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude
of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed.

A certain human was there,
who had been sick for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been sick for a long time,
he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick human answered him,
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up,
but while I am going, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”
Immediately, the human was made well,
and took up his mat and walked.

Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
So the Jews said to him who was cured,
“It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry that mat.”
He answered them,
“He who made me well said to me,
‘Take up your mat, and walk.’”
Then they asked him,
“Who is the human who said to you,
‘Take up your mat, and walk’?”
But he who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple,
and said to him, “Behold, you are made well.
Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
The human went away, and told the Jews
that it was Jesus who had made him well.
For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus,
and sought to kill him,
because he did these things on the Sabbath.