1ST READING
The
more we bathe in the grace of the Lord, the deeper it will be able to
work in us. God will give us whatever we are ready to receive. If we
open our lives to His grace, He will fill us to the brim. This is the
nature of God’s love — He desires to apportion His blessings in
abundance on those who welcome them.
Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12
1 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 facade of the temple was toward the
east; the water flowed down from the right side of the temple, south of
the altar. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. 8 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.
9 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. 12 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.”
P S A L M
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R: The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
1 [2] God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. 2 [3] Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (R) 4 [5] There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be
disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn. (R) 7 [8] The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. 8 [9] Come! behold the deeds of the Lord, the astounding things he has wrought on earth. (R)
GOSPEL
Jesus
is not interested in laws that do not serve the people. A law that
limits the blessings He can give to His people is wrong. This is what
Jesus teaches us when He healed the man with a withered hand on the
Sabbath. Let us always be as open to God’s grace working in our lives.
God is free to choose when He wants to bless us, even on the Sabbath.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation.
John 5:1-16
1 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. 3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. [4] 4 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 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?” 7 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.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 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.” 11 He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. 14 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.” 15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.
think:The more we bathe in the grace of the Lord, the deeper it will be able to work in us.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Revelation 19-22
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