NOTES for Act 3:1-26

The apostle Peter's answer to the lame man sitting at the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem makes us, too, consider what we can give to the world around us. That world most often does indeed thirst for “silver and gold,” which Christianity is unable to give it. But deep down it is not seeking only that: it awaits healing and wants to know the truth about itself and about God.

The Book of Acts contains remarkable examples of how the apostles bring people peace, healing, and meaning. Peter and John not only heal the lame man, emphasizing that this happened not by their power but by God's; in a few extraordinarily concise words they also reveal to the Israelites the meaning of their history and divine election, and point to the focus of their aspirations and hopes — Christ. In our own day, the Lord expects all this from Christianity, from the Church, and from each one of us.