By Beth DeCristofaro
The angel brought me,
Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD, and I saw water
flowing out … 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. (Ezekiel 47: 1, 8-9, 12)
When Jesus saw (the sick
man) 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. … (Jesus
said to him) “Look, you are well; do not sin any more. (John 5: 6-9, 14)
Piety
Come, O Holy Spirit!
Come, open us to the wonder, beauty, and dignity of the diversity found
in each culture, in each face, and in each experience we have of the other
among us.
Come, fill us with generosity as we are challenged to let go and allow
others to share with us the goods and beauty of earth.
Come, heal the divisions that keep us from seeing the face of Christ in
all men, women, and children.
Come, free us to stand with and for those who must leave their own lands
in order to find work, security, and welcome in a new land, one that has enough
to share.
Come, bring us understanding, inspiration, wisdom, and the courage needed
to embrace change and stay on the journey.
Come, O Holy Spirit, show us the way.
Study
Today, April 1, would
have been my grandmother’s 112 birthday had she lived beyond her 87 years. She often told me that she did not want to
live to be 100 even though I thought it would have been more than wonderful if
she lived from her day of birth, April Fool’s Day 1900, to April Fool’s Day
2000. It was more important to her to
live a meaningful life, not a long life.
Her family emigrated from Ireland at the turn of the century and she and
her 15 brothers and sisters were raised to work hard and live morally. She likewise raised my mother and her two
siblings.
The Scripture readings
today speak of the life-giving qualities of water which become sacred signs
when yielded by God. The lavish flow of
water from the temple and the compassionate healing by Jesus show God’s
goodness and gifts to all of us. My
grandmother, although having very difficult periods during her life, certainly
experienced the abundance of God’s gifts living here in the United States,
working hard with my grandfather and living with material needs met. There are many hard-working, poor people
today looking to come to the prosperous United States to better their lives
just as my Irish forebears did. God’s
abundant love is for them as well as for those of us lucky enough to have been
born here.
Action
Today Mass will be said at
Nogales, AZ, on the Mexican border, concelebrated by several US Bishops in
memoriam of more than 6,000 immigrants who have died trying to enter the US
from Mexico. Join them in prayer or Mass
(12 Noon ET is at the time of the 9 a.m. Mass on the border) for migrants and
refugees around the world. Read more at
the USCCB website. http://usccb.org/about/migration-policy/mass-on-the-border.cfm
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