Homily for Thursday, Octave of Easter
April
4, 2024
Acts
3: 11-26
Christian
Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.
St. Peter preaching in Jerusalem
(public domain via EWTN)
Yesterday’s 1st
reading recounted how Peter and John healed a cripple at the Beautiful Gate of
the Temple. Today we hear the people’s
reaction and an interpretative sermon from Peter. Peter hastens to ascribe the amazing cure to
the power of Jesus, risen from the dead by the favor of God in fulfillment of
the Scriptures. Faith in Jesus Christ
leads to salvation, no matter how ignorantly one has acted—Pilate or the Jewish
leaders, or we ourselves. Peter invites
his listeners to repentance “that your sins may be wiped away, and that the
Lord may grant you times of refreshment” (Acts 3:19-20), which is a somewhat
strange way of saying that God will renew our souls. That’s the promise of Jesus, raised from the
dead—a more amazing work of God than the healing of a crippled body. Souls made whole by faith are the true
healing that Christ offers us.
No comments:
Post a Comment