Wednesday
24th April 2019. Read Acts 3:1-10, Psalm 33 and Luke 24:13-35.
_*“Peter
said: ‘I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, walk.’” (Acts 3:6)*_
The encounter between Peter and the lame man at the Beautiful gate speaks a lot of
volumes to us. The lame man begged for alms – he just wanted what would give
him the next meal; he asked for what would ensure his survival for the moment. Is
this not our story? Too often we get into our knees praying; begging God with
tears in our eyes for alms; we ask for money; we ask for things we can see. And
how sad we become when we don’t these material things.
Peter
honestly did not have money but he knew he had God. He was not ashamed of his
poverty because he knew he had something more than money. “Silver and gold I do
not have but what I have, I give to you. Rise up and walk.” Peter was the
opposite of today’s men of God who brag with their riches and make a show of
their charities (giving just to attract attention).
Peter knew
what he had and he valued it above anything else. He was not enticed with gold
and silver. It is this same Peter who would say to Simon the Magician who had
offered him money to receive the power of the Holy Spirit: “Your silver perish with you because you
thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” (Acts 8:20).
The
question for us today is: As a child of God, do I really know what I have? What
value do I place on my relationship with God? Why do I envy the rich so much?
In our
Gospel passage today, we read about the two disciples who were walking away
from Jerusalem in utter disappointment. They were expecting that Jesus was
going to take over power from the Romans. Their discipleship had been based on their
hope of political power. These disciples are not too different from us who go
to church with a purely materialistic mindset.
For
instance, someone wrote a mass intention for me stating that (I quote): “God
should put fire in the heart of my helpers… disturb them so that they would not
have rest till they locate me…” How am I supposed to offer this type of
intention to God? Dear friends, for anyone who worships God solely for the
things of this world, he or she would always be disappointed like these two
disciples.
Jesus met
them on their way to Emmaus and like Mary Magdalene, they did not recognize
Jesus taking him as just an ordinary passer-by going their direction. When our
hearts are too preoccupied with material pursuits, we not only find it
difficult to pray, we find it very difficult to recognize the presence of
Jesus.
Jesus then
took his time to explain to them the necessity of suffering in a homily which
made their hearts burn within them. Jesus made it clear to them He had not come
as a political messiah. Jesus did not come to free us from poverty. To Judas
Iscariot, Jesus said: “Why do you
trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always
have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. (Matthew 26:10-11). You see, Jesus did not come simply to give us silver
and gold. Jesus came to bring us something money can never buy; the salvation
of our souls.
Let us
sing: You take the whole world and give me Jesus. You take the whole world and
give me Jesus. You take the whole world and give me Jesus, I am satisfied, I am
satisfied.
Stop asking
for silver and gold, ask for faith instead; the kind of faith that Peter had.
Stop trying to store up treasures for yourself on earth, they will never last
no matter how hard you pray. Store up treasures instead in heaven where no
thief can break in and steal and no moth or rust destroy. (Luke12:33).
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, open my eyes
to really see what I have. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday
of Easter Octave. Bible Study:
Acts 3:1-10, Psalm 33 and Luke 24:13-35).
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