The angel 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
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.”

Ezekiel 47: 2-12

Here are the complete readings for Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

(“Jesus Healing the Man at the Pool of Bethesda” mosaic at San Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy”

Water is so necessary for life, yet so dangerous. People will fight over it and are terrified of being trapped in it. I found myself reading this passage from Ezekiel over and over. Notice how the closer the person gets to God, the deeper the water becomes. Each time the angel beckons the person to draw nearer, the journey gets riskier and the person becomes more vulnerable. Yet they keep going, perhaps afraid but stepping forth freely and without coercion. When we are on a faith journey, we believe that God offers but does not demand for us to walk away from our present state of familiarity and risk new life in uncharted waters. In the passage, God describes the water having both creative and cleansing powers. Would the character in this narrative be able to experience the bounty found on the other side of the river without first walking forward into the deep water that goes over his head? When we feel as though we are being called to do something new or to make a major change, what is it that can inspire us to stop thinking about and to actually get our feet wet, experience the uncertainty yet move forward because we can now see the other side of the river bank?

If you allow yourself
to be formed by God
through the common,
ordinary,
unspectacular
flow of everyday life,
you will gradually experience
a liberation and a freedom
never before imagined.
Stand ready to answer
when asked
if you are available for God
to become more present in your life
and through you to the world. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, some days I think I know where I should go, yet today I am unsure. When I fear making a decision where I will say goodbye to what I think is important, please help me remember that I am simply changing back into who I am supposed to be, which is me. May I know that I am adored and valued, and may I then share with my community and with the world this person I have always been.

Amen