Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Acts 3:1-10
What do you think of when you hear the word miracle? Depending on who you are, you might think of sporting events where a team scores a flurry of points at the end to rally from a large deficit and win. You might think of someone getting an unexpected promotion or getting the house that they have had their eye on. You might also think of getting an A on a test that you did not study for or that essay that you wrote the night before it was due. While these may feel like miracles to us here on earth, our readings today outline some true miracles.
Now, in the Gospels, Jesus is shown healing many people who were considered lost causes. He helped people who had been blind their entire lives, had been crippled from birth, and were possessed by demons (see Matthew 10:1 for just one example). After all, Jesus is God, and God can do anything! There were physicians back in Jesus’ day (The Bible even mentions that Luke was one). So, why didn’t Jesus send for a doctor for the sick people that he encountered? Because He had a bigger view far outside of our understanding.
In our readings today, we see regular ordinary people just like you and me being given the authority from Jesus to do some miracles. There is even an example of Peter and John healing a man who could not walk. Now, don’t expect that if you walked into a hospital up to a person in a coma and said, “In the Name of Jesus Christ, be healed!”, that they would be healed.
So then, how are people healed today? God does still heal people. He just uses different means to do so. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we heal through our various vocations. This is where you come in.
In your future (Or current) jobs and vocations, God can and will use you to help people. If you become a healthcare worker someday, God will use you to heal people physically. If you become a Pastor or other church worker, God will use you to attend to people’s spiritual health. No matter what your vocation is, you are still an important piece of the puzzle that is the Church. God sends the Holy Spirit to work good works through you.
Beyond your vocation, you can also help those around you through prayer. As any loving Father should, God listens to your petitions each and every time that you pray to Him. You might not always get the answer that you want, but you should continue to pray. God is always listening.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, please use me to do good works in this world. Please also help me to remember that it is not anything that I do on this Earth that saves me, but your Son Jesus Christ. Please send your Spirit to give me the strength to carry out your appointed vocation for me in this World. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Journal Questions
- What are some ways that God can work through you in your current vocation?
- Have you ever witnessed a miracle? Have you heard about one? What happened, and where could God be seen working?
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