After spending hours in the sun on a hot summer day, there is nothing more refreshing than jumping into a cold lake, river or ocean. The cold water washes away all discomfort from the heat and leaves you feeling rejuvenated. In today’s first reading, we read about the restoring and refreshing nature of a flowing river and learn how “wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow.” Just as a river provides life to the surrounding trees, plants and animals, Jesus is the eternal water that nourishes our spiritual lives. Faith is like a spring of water flowing to the soul - with the nourishment of God’s love our spiritual fruit will grow and flourish.

In the gospel reading, Jesus shows us how his abundant love is even more healing and live-giving than physical water. Jesus meets a man who has been ill for thirty-eight years and when Jesus asks him if he wants to be well, the man responds that he has nobody to take him to the pool. The ill man doesn’t answer Jesus’ question but instead thinks only about the limitations in the physical state. It is so easy for us to come up with excuses about why miracles can’t happen, and we can be so blinded by the limitations that we might have. But Jesus shows us that we need to think beyond our limitations and realize that we have God on our side. Of course, relying on our own plans and ability will leave us frustrated with our current states of illness like the ill man in the Gospel. However, if we remember that Jesus is the healing water that we need, we can put our faith in him rather than ourselves and be restored and strengthened by his healing water.