Year of the Bible

Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 3:

In Chapter 3 we hear about the life of the early community of believers as they live out the “Jerusalem” part of Jesus’ prophetic words of Acts 1:8. As faithful Jews, they continue communal prayer at the Temple as part of their life of discipleship (2:42). One day, Peter and John meet a man who is excluded from society and work due to disability, leaving him poor and begging to survive (vs. 2). The man takes the initiative to ask Peter and John for alms, and then responds to Peter with attention and expectation (vs. 3-5). Peter prays “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk” and the man experiences a healing to wholeness through faith in Jesus (vs. 7, 16). The Kingdom of God is continuing to advance as it did during Jesus’ earthly life (Lk 5:23), now through his followers empowered with his Spirit!

Note: In Greco-Roman culture, disabled people were considered inferior to others. Today the Church teaches that disability is neither shameful nor a stigma, and that social, “structures of sin,” such as unjust discrimination or exclusion impacting people with disabilities must be “transformed into structures of solidarity” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 193).

The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 3:

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beauti­ful to ask alms of those who en­tered the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Naza­reth, rise and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recog­nized him as the one who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Addresses the People in Solomon’s Portico

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran togeth­er to them in the portico called Solomon’s, astounded. 12 And
when Peter saw it he addressed the people, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abra­ham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Jesus d has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in igno­rance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refresh­ing may come from the pres­ence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for es­tablishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that proph­et shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the proph­ets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your pos­terity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turn­ing every one of you from your wickedness.”

*Daily Lectio Divina Question:

Acts 3:12 “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?" Lord, by our Baptism we are each given the gift of building up the Kingdom in Your name. Where do you want to use me, Lord?

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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