I
FIRST READING
I saw water flowing from the temple, and all who were touched by it were saved.
The angel brought me [Ezekiel]
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
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.
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.”
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Commentary on Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The scriptural offerings begin with a first reading taken from a (truncated) excerpt from Ezekiel’s vision of the renewed temple in Jerusalem (47:1-2, 8-9, 12). Because the presence of the Lord has returned to the temple (following the return of Israel itself from exile), the waters flowing from the temple have become life-giving in the spectacular way described – even the Dead Sea is seen as being made to teem with fish when the waters enter it. The vision has entered Christian imagination as a powerful symbol of the life (grace) that flows to human beings through God’s presence in the temple of the Church.[1]
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
This hymn of praise is a profession of faith: “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” It is also interesting in that it challenges those who profess their faith in the Lord to proclaim it in the world: “among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.”
This canticle emphasizes the peace and confidence found in his servant, enjoying the salvation of God. He sings his praise to God and exhorts all of Israel to praise him as they see his constant presence among them in the blessings they receive.
CCC: Is 12:3 2561
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GOSPEL
One of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance,
and immediately there came out blood and water.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved,
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, "I thirst."
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
"It is finished."
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
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Commentary on Jn 19:25-37
Here is Jesus’ last address to his mother. Although the address sounds unnecessarily formal ("Woman, behold, your son.") this would have been considered a polite address in biblical times. The reference, “Woman,” is possibly to Genesis 3:15 which describes the mother of the Messiah as the “woman” whose offspring conquers the devil (CCC 726, 2618). [2] The Lord, nearing the end of his life, commends the care of his mother to the disciple whom he loved. It is presumed this is done because Jesus has no brothers or sisters, and his adoptive father, Joseph, has already died.
In this instance, assuming that the disciple referred to is St. John, the author of the Gospel, the tender consignment of the care of the Lord’s mother is seen as iconic. That is, she is given into the care of all of the disciples, whom Jesus loves. Seeing her son dying upon the cross is one of the seven sorrows the Blessed Mother endured in faith.
The narrative continues describing the Lord's last moments of life on the cross. The prophecy to which John refers when saying "in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled" was Psalm 69:22. While Matthew and Mark speak about this event, only John relates it specifically to the prophetic literature. After this final act, the Lord "handed over his spirit."
What happens after Jesus' death demonstrates to the Jews the nature of his sacrifice. "Jesus dies on the Preparation day of the Passover - Parasceve- that is, the eve, when the paschal lambs were officially sacrificed in the temple. By stressing this, the Evangelist implies that Christ's sacrifice took the place of the sacrifices of the Old Law and inaugurated the New Alliance in his blood (cf. Hebrews 9:12)."[3] Typically, when the executioners wished to speed up the death of one crucified, the legs would be broken. This would force the victim to suffocate quickly. In the case of Jesus, this was not done (see Psalm 34:20-21). Instead we are told the guards pierced his side with a lance and "immediately Blood and water flowed out."
While the outflow of water and blood have a natural explanation, there has been great theological importance placed upon it in numerous sources (St. Ambrose, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Augustine). Water and blood have already been established as signs of salvation (John 3:5 and John 6:53ff). "With Christ's death and the giving of the Spirit already signified in v. 30, the life-giving work of the Church begins, and hence the Church can be said in a sense to have been born from the wounded side of Christ."[4]
St. John next adds a theological reflection of his own in the form of testimony from an eyewitness. Using references to prophetic literature, the witness points out that Jesus' body ritually followed Jewish law governing the Passover sacrifice, which designated that the bones of the sacrificial animal should not be broken (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12). Christ becomes the Christian's Passover Sacrifice and meal. And in the second proof "They will look upon him whom they have pierced," he makes reference to Zechariah 12:10.
CCC: Jn 19:25-27 726, 2618; Jn 19:25 495; Jn 19:26-27 501, 964, 2605; Jn 19:27 2677, 2679; Jn 19:28 544, 607, 2561, 2605; Jn 19:30 607, 624, 730, 2605; Jn 19:30b 2605; Jn 19:31 641; Jn 19:34 478, 694, 1225; Jn 19:36 608; Jn 19:37 1432
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II
FIRST READING
Fountain of the garden, well of living water.
Until the day breathes cool and the shadows lengthen,
I will go to the mountain of myrrh,
to the hill of incense.
You are all-beautiful, my beloved,
and there is no blemish in you.
You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one bead of your necklace.
You are an enclosed garden, my sister, my bride,
an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed.
You are a park that puts forth pomegranates,
with all choice fruits;
nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all kinds of incense;
myrrh and aloes,
with all the finest spices.
You are a garden fountain, a well of water
flowing fresh from Lebanon.
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Commentary on Sgs 4:6-7,9,12-15
In the allegorical reading, the various qualities of the beloved are applied to the Church, because "As a lover often sings the praises of the one he loves, and especially delights in her shapeliness and in the beauty of her face. God speaks of the elegant figure of the Church, the beauty of her members and the features of her face" (Fray Luis de Leon, In Canticiim Canticorum triplex explanatio. 4, 3). But it is the Virgin Mary who possesses the qualities of the bride to the highest degree, so it is not surprising that the Tradition of the Church should have read vv. 7 and 12-15 as announcing her preservation from sin (she is the Immaculate) and her perpetual virginity.
"In the Song of Songs, you are called the 'enclosed garden' and 'sealed fountain' by the spouse who came from you. An enclosed garden, because the sickle of corruption has not touched you, nor have you yet arrived at vintage; in all your innocence, you grew as the flower of the root of Jesse for all mankind, tended by the one, pure Holy Spirit. A sealed fountain, because the river of life, which sprang forth from you, flooded the whole earth, but no trace of a spouse was to be seen in the spring-water" (Hesychius, De Sancta Maria Deipard). [5]
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (15:9d) You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
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Commentary on Judith 13:18bcde, 19
This short hymn in praise of Judith (who at the time of its writing represented the faithful people) is predictive of the blessed role Mary will play in human salvation. In the story immediately preceding these verses Judith offers to sacrifice herself for salvation of the people and is here found praiseworthy for her willingness to do so.
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GOSPEL
Streams of living water shall flow from his heart.
On the last and greatest day of the feast,
Jesus stood up and exclaimed,
"Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says:
Rivers of living water will flow from within him."
He said this in reference to the Spirit
that those who came to believe in him were to receive.
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Commentary on Jn 7:37-39a
“On each of the eight days of the feast of Tabernacles the high priest went to the pool of Siloam and used a golden cup to bring water to the temple and sprinkle it on the altar, in remembrance of the water which sprang up miraculously in the desert, asking God to send rain in plenty (cf. Exodus 17:1-7). Meanwhile, a passage from the prophet Isaiah was chanted (cf. Isaiah 12:3) which told of the coming of the Savior and of the outpouring of heavenly gifts that would accompany him; Ezekiel 47 was also read, in which it spoke of the torrents of water which would pour out of the temple. Jesus, who would have been at this ceremony, now proclaims - in the presence of a huge crowd, undoubtedly, because it was the most solemn day of the festival- that that time has come: "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink …” This invitation recalls the words of divine wisdom: "Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill" (Sirach 24:19; cf. Proverbs 9:4-5). Our Lord presents himself as he who can fill man's heart and bring him peace (cf. also Matthew 11:28). In this connection St Augustine exclaims: "You made us for yourself. Lord, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you" (Confessions, 1, 1, 1).”[6]
Although the referenced scripture is not a direct quote, Jesus' scriptural reference is probably to Ezekiel 36:25ff providing a strong the theological link between the initial gift of the Holy Spirit (“I will put my spirit within you “) and baptism (“I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities"). This symbolic action of washing, a Hebrew ritual, becomes an efficacious sign of grace when coupled with God’s presence in the Holy Spirit.
CCC: Jn 7:37-39 728, 1287, 2561; Jn 7:38-39 1999; Jn 7:38 694; Jn 7:39 244, 690
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Reflection:
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| "Virgin and Child" Barnaba Da Modena 1361-1383 |
The Blessed Mother carries over fifty different titles and even so, there are more words that describe her blessed role in our ongoing faith. She is named here as “Fountain of Salvation.” It was through her that our Lord, Jesus Christ, came into the world and as he says to us in St. John’s Gospel: "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says: Rivers of living water will flow from within him." The Lord is the river of living water, flowing from the fountain of life, the womb of the Blessed Mother, Mary, the Theotokos.
The gift of the water flowing from Jesus is this life-giving water that transformed us in baptism, creating us as children of God, his adopted sons and daughters. In the water flowing from the font that is Mary’s love, running through her son, is a gift that allows us to draw on our advocate and guide that we might have life in the spirit.
For us, the Lord’s modern-day disciples, Mary, the Fountain of Salvation, is so necessary. We know that without water, the body dies quickly. In the same way, with spiritual water, the spirit dies. It needs to be constantly refreshed or it withers. We see this frequently in those who fall way. They do not drink from the springs of salvation. They do not think that it is necessary to be refreshed in this way. And consequently they do not feel the death of the spirit within them. It is a fading, even while they may yearn for the spiritual water that is peace-giving, they turn from it, and like a plant that is afflicted by drought, the spirit wilts.
Of course the analogy of a plant withering for lack of water has its limitations. The spirit, once given in baptism, will never die. It may be suppressed and its voice may shrink to a whisper, but it will not die. Salvation is there for the asking. So it is up to us to bring water from Our Lady’s font to bring it back to vitality. Drink deeply today. The spiritual spring welling up within us, fed by the Fountain of Salvation, may be called upon to give drink to one who needs it desperately.
Pax
[1] Commentary written by Fr. Brenden Byrne, SJ.
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 198.
[3] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts” (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 695.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 63:172, p. 462.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Psalms and the Song of Songs” (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003), 504
[6] The Navarre Bible, "Gospels and Acts" (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 699.
