watered by the flow of the sanctuary

Ezekiel 47:1-12; Ps 46 The Lord of host is with us; our stronghold is the god of Jacob; John 5:1-16

Words from the prophet Ezekiel, "they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow of the sanctuary..."

Words from the gospel:
Jesus said to him, "Do you want to be well?" The sick m answered him, :sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the watered is stirred...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 your to carry your mat." He answered them, "the man who made me well, told me, "pick up your mat and walk.'


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 back to the first reading. Listen again to the words of Ezekiel, "they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow of the sanctuary.

What is this but the fruit of prayer.

St. Josemaria Escriva states, "conscious of our duties, can we let a whole day go past without remembering we have a soul? In our daily meditation, we have always to put things right lest we depart from the way. If you abandon prayer yu may first live on spiritual reserves, and after day, by cheating."

"Practice meditation for a fixed period and at a fixed time. Otherwise we would be putting our own convenience first; that would be a lack of mortification. And prayer with out mortification is not at all effective."

"Are you living in the presence of God? For that is a consequence and a manifestation of your prayer."

"YOu haven't been praying? Why, because you haven't time? But you do have time. Furthermore, what sort of works will you be able to do if you have not meditated on them in the presence of the Lord, so as to put them in order? Without that conversation with God, how can you finish your daily work with perfection? Look, it is as if you claimed you had no time to study because you were too busy giving lessons. Without study you cannot teach well.

Prayer has to come before everything. If you do not understand this and put it into practice, don't tell me that you have no time: it 's simply that you do not want to pray."

"Here is an effective custom for achieving presence of God: your first appointment every day should be with JEsus Christ."

"A catholic without prayer is like a soldier without arms."