Get up and dance to the song who is God

+ Water everywhere today in each of the readings; even in the psalm there is mention.

Water gives life! Fresh water turns the salty sea fresh and is now capable of giving that same life.

Every kind of tree is now bearing fruit. Hope! Blessings! Fruitfulness!

And everywhere that water flows, every creature capable of multiplying, indeed, lives and creates more life.

Water — what a blessing!

And that it is connected to the temple is not lost on us, as we know and see the waters of baptism flowing from our churches that begin the life of faith in all those called and anointed in Christ and through his Spirit.

+ And then a story of more water: a pool called Bethesda.

This was a place of healing; all the ill, blind, lame, and crippled were there waiting for the waters of life to be stirred up into healing waters.

But one poor man had been waiting for “thirty-eight” years; and without assistance found himself incapable for almost four decades to get into the waters in time to get their healing, life-restoring grace.

This man, surrounded apparently by compassionless peoples, found himself in the company of Jesus, — if only for a moment.

And Jesus saw! And Jesus asked: “Do you want to be well?”

And Jesus heard the man’s sad story of helplessness; Jesus got right to the point: “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”

And he did. And the growing number of Jesus’ enemies condemned his loving act because it took place on the sabbath — a day on which no work (including, apparently, healing work) was permitted.

Apparently, love has its limits — at least in the eyes of the law, as some read it.

And Jesus, whose love and compassion was never and could never be limited.

For Jesus, his love and compassion were the highest expression of the law; this Jesus circled back to that man later and gave even more life as he bid him to avoid sin and to live the life of grace.

Jesus found that man at the waters of the pool, and that man found, through Jesus and the waters, new life, new hope, blessings!

Fruitfulness that was to endure! We have that life! We know that life! We are called to celebrate and share that life with all who long to know it, too!

At what “pool or river of life” will we find someone today longing for healing, love, peace, hope, forgiveness, understanding, grace, a turning from sin, and the chance to know God more deeply in their life?

These waters are (metaphorically) flowing from the temple of God’s grace — everywhere!

And we, having been blessed in and by those waters, will get up and walk.

No. Get up and dance to the song who is God, the song that is everywhere!

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Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.