Johannine Hours                 Acts 3:6                 October 1996
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[The "Johannine hours" are meant as a way of seeking God in silence
and prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a
day, take a moment to read the Bible passage with the short
commentary and to reflect on the questions which follow.
Afterwards, a small group people can meet to share what they have
discovered and perhaps for a time of prayer.] 

I have no gold or silver, but what I have I give you: in the name
of Jesus Christ, walk! (Acts 3,6) 

Peter did not run away from confronting the suffering of the man
crippled from birth. He did not look for the "causes." He let
himself be touched by the drama of that resigned person, who had
only his handicap to awaken the pity of passersby and to get from
them enough to survive. In the eyes of all, that man presented the
face of a fallen and absurd humanity who seemed to doom God's plan
to failure. 

Peter had no explanation for the mystery of that situation. But he
could witness to and share what he himself had discovered: trust in
Christ is stronger than anything else. Fears, acts of cowardice,
and despair cannot destroy it. From the "Come, follow me!" that
Peter heard by the lake until the "Do you love me?" after the
resurrection, Jesus had always shown him that trust is possible,
because he himself was the first to run the risk. 

"In the name of Jesus Christ..." Now Peter is filled with the
Spirit of Christ and acts in his name. He proclaims both his
communion with Christ and his hope for the handicapped man. Peter
can expect for someone who no longer expects anything. He can
believe in the future of the one who was trapped in failure or
suffering. The beggar was looking for something that would just
enable him to survive. Peter dared to offer him a sharing in the
secret of his life, so that God's glory would be manifested in him.

Living out Christ's call means discovering in it a treasure that
will never be lacking and with which we can respond to the
expectations that we encounter. Sharing that call means living
Christ for others. 

      How am I already living out Christ's call? 
      How can I dare to share that call with others? 

"Johannine Hours" - 09/96 - ©71250 Taizé-Community, France.
community@taize.fr




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