July 19, 2004, Friday of the 15th week in ordinary time.

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. When Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah,

son of Amos, came and said to him, thus says the Lord, put your house in order, for you are

about to die. You shall not recover.

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.

O Lord, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence,

doing what was pleasing to you. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah.

Go, tell Hezekiah, thus says the Lord the God of your father, David.

I've heard your prayer and seen your tears.

I will heal you.

In three days you shall go up to the Lord's temple. I will add 15 years to your life.

I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will be a shield to this city.

Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil that he might recover.

Then Hezekiah asked,

What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the Lord?

Isaiah answered,

This will be the sign for you from the Lord that he will do what he has promised.

See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun on the stairway to

the terrace of Ahaz go back the ten steps it has advanced. So the sun came back the ten steps

it had advanced. The word of the Lord. The responsorial psalm. The response is,

You saved my life, O Lord, I shall not die.

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