If God were to be in the water in your life, where would He be? Would he be in a cup as a long, pure, thirst-quenching drink? Would He be in a rain that soothes and heals? Would He be in a fountain, a river, or the ocean? Would He be in the stirring of a pool?
Both of today’s readings give us examples of God in the water. Both are good stories. Both lend themselves to prayer through imagination. When you pray with your imagination, you begin by reading the whole story. Then you imagine yourself as a character. You create a movie in your mind of the story. What is the background scenery? What time of day is it? Read the story again. Add to the plot of what happens the story of what happens inside you as you live these events in your mind. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What do you want? How do you respond as the story unfolds?
In the Old Testament reading, Ezekiel is writing from exile in Babylon about 600 years before Christ was born. The Jewish people were in exile there. Their country had been pillaged by the Babylonians. In a foreign land, the people were discouraged. God sent the prophet Ezekiel to give the people hope. The book of Ezekiel centers around seven visions. Today’s reading is part of the last vision. Earlier in the book Ezekiel had a vision of God leaving the temple (Chapter 8) because of the abominations practiced by His people. The final vision of the book lasts from chapter 40 through chapter 48. In this vision Ezekiel sees God return to live again in the temple. It is a literal vision statement to help the people in exile picture returning again to Jerusalem and rebuilding their nation and their culture.
To pray from the Old Testament story, read Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12. Imagine you are Ezekiel, standing in front of a beautiful temple. It is new, grand, and beautiful in every way. You see a trickle of water flowing from its right side, coming from beneath the threshold of the temple. It is just a little water as it flows out to the temple gate—perhaps about as much water as would come out of a garden hose or a small spring. God tells you as Ezekiel to follow the flow of the water as it goes beyond the temple gate for about 500 yards or meters and to measure how deep the water is. You measure. The stream has grown. It is ankle deep. God tells you to continue to follow the stream another 500 yards or meters. He asks you to measure the water again. It is waist deep. God continues to have you follow the stream and measure. It grows into a great river. As you reach the bank of the river, God tells you that this river of God teems with fish. All kinds of wildlife live along its banks as it flows to the sea. You see fruit trees of every kind growing. God tells you these fruit trees bear new fruit each month all year long. Pause and relish the wonderful scene before you.
Now imagine a second scene to pray from the Gospel. This scene is found in John 5: 1-16. This time you are too crippled to walk. You have been this way for 38 years—since 1977. You are lying by the Pool of Bethesda with many others. All of you are hoping that today an angel will come to stir the water. If you could be the first person in the water after it is stirred, you would be healed. You would be able to walk and be part of the community. But the angel doesn’t stir the water every day, and you cannot get to it quickly enough, because you have no friend to help you. You are a person without hope or joy. Jesus finds you and heals you. “Rise, take up your mat and walk,” he says. You can hardly believe it! You can walk! You walk around for a minute, filled with amazement. As you realize you really can walk, you turn around to thank the person who did this. He has slipped away! You look for him, but he is nowhere to be found Still totally astonished, you go to the temple to thank God and let others know God healed you without your even touching the water. Let yourself imagine what you would be thinking and doing as that man.
Mother Church gives us these readings today to help us along the path of Lent. We celebrated on Sunday because Lent is half done. We move now this week to stories and images of God’s goodness and hospitality. Hopefully, God has already touched some troublesome spot within each of us. It is time to give us an experience of hope or healing. It is time for us to have an experience of God in the water.
Imagine a third scene. You are standing by water—a fountain, a stream, the ocean, or the kitchen sink. Imagine Jesus standing beside you. What do you say to Him? What does He say to you? Rest for a moment in whatever comes to mind. Thank God for whatever He has done for you.
You might want to finish reflecting on today’s readings with reading Psalm 46, a Psalm of God’s strength.
Does the joy of today’s readings not touch you? Are you not in a grateful place today? You might want to focus on the second conversation Jesus had with the man he healed. Scripture says, “After this Jesus found him in the temple area.” Jesus went looking for him. He wanted the man to know it was the goodness of God who healed him. How would you like God to search for you, to find you today? What would you want Him to know? Tell Him that now.
If your heart and mind are drawn to any of these meditations, take the time to rest in the scene. Return to it until it has seemed to speak to you as much as it can. Then let yourself be finished. Thank God for how He has been in the water of your prayer today.
