We are still in the Easter Octave and our readings are focused on the post-resurrection stories. We are reflecting on what happened in the days after the resurrection, and we are also reflecting on what happened in the lives of the followers of Jesus after the resurrection.
Today I invite you to focus on our First Reading drawn from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter and John went up to the temple to pray, and a crippled man who had spent almost his entire life as a beggar in the temple area approached them to ask for alms. Peter boldly told him that, “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk.” The scripture tells us that “immediately” the man’s “feet and ankles were made strong.” The man leapt, stood up, walked, and started praising God!
This miracle is one of the first ones performed by the disciples away from the shadow of their Master. They did perform other miracles earlier, but under the direct supervision of Jesus. At this point, the disciples bore the Spirit of their Master; he worked through them, and they continued doing in His name the things He used to do.
The words of St. Peter today are important to pay attention to for us who are disciples of Jesus by the dint of our baptism: “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk.”
Part of the calling we have received through baptism is to be of service to our brothers and sisters. We may not have the silver, we may not have the gold, but opportunities for service abound in our world. A listening ear, a word of comfort, a prayer for someone who is troubled or going through a difficult time, can go a long way in supporting someone. You may not have the silver and the gold, but you have something else to offer.
Staying behind after a Church function to help with cleaning up and the stacking of chairs can be a great help to a faith community and a powerful witness to one’s faith. Small things matter, too. They may not be silver and gold, but they matter, too.
I lived with a community of retired Holy Cross men down in Austin, Texas as a graduate student, and these men told me that their new ministry in retirement was a ministry of prayer. They were no longer teachers, high school principals, or counselors running up and down the corridors of schools; their ministry was simply to pray for others. They did not have the silver and the gold to give, but they had something different to offer.
Today we are being reminded that it is not only the big checks that are important, it is not only the experts who matter, it is not only the extremely talented who can contribute to the work of God. All of us in our own way have something we can offer to advance the work of God and to serve our neighbors.
May we ask the risen Lord to give us the grace we need to avail ourselves to service not only in big ways but also in small ways. May the risen Lord remind us that one of the fruits of His resurrection in the lives of His disciples is a radical commitment to a life of service.
Father Fred Jenga, C.S.C. is the President of Holy Cross Family Ministries. Father Fred, a native of Uganda, has multiple degrees including theology, philosophy, and communications. His native language is Lusoga and he speaks English, Luganda, Kiswahili, and Rutooro. He has been a teacher, researcher, author and family minister. Father Fred is committed to helping build God’s masterpiece one family at a time.
