Monday, March 23, 2009

Tuesday March 24, 2009 of the 4th week in Lent

Tuesday March 24, 2009 of the 4th Week in Lent
Readings: Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12 Psalm 46 John 5: 1-16
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob

When we read and contemplate the words of the prophets when they were in their prophetic stance, the symbolic language doesn’t always strike a chord with us.
A bit of historic knowledge helps us better understand the meanings.
The Temple portals were constructed facing the East. Most of the ancient Churches were built with their altars facing eastward. It was symbolic of the expectations the Messiah would come from the East. In fact, the Magi (from the east) was a symbol of the inclusion of the Gentiles in the salvation plan promised to the people of Israel, in the form of a Messiah.
In those Ezekan verses, the beginning trickle of water which ultimately formed the fresh water where life thrived was symbolic of the return, contemplated by God of His people into the primoral garden established once for His original creation.

Our psalm and response give us confidence God will provide, if, we remain faithful to His covenant. Like a relentless stream, we can expect His love to prevail in every distress sent our way.

The fellow who waited at the proper time for the waters of Siloam to be stirred by the angel of the Lord, was asked by Jesus, “ Do you want to be cured?” After all, the man was there for 38 years begging; maybe he liked being pitied. The excuse, “ No one helps me into the water wouldn’t hold water in the light of such a long time without some preplanning.
Even in his healing, the man wasn’t jubilant. When asked who told him to carry his mat, an obvious ignorance of the Sabbath law, he squealed on Jesus bringing about the wrath of the scrupulous scribes ad Pharisees.

Many times in our lives, we have the opportunity to be one of God’s helpers. If we truly believe Christ is the Messiah, the one who died and rose from the dead, think opf the nails we plunge into His wrists and feet every time we deny Him by our disregard for His other brothers and sisters .

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