Acts 3:1-10
Lk 24:13-35
I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!
Hurting people hurt people.
This is phrase that I’ve heard a more than a few times when I share with some of my friends or confidants about some injustice or unfair treatment I’ve received from some people. I know that this doesn’t give people a free pass to be mean to others. It’s also not a statement we tell ourselves to make us feel better because we can make excuses for others. Rather, it is a statement that shows the reality of things. A heart that is not filled with love, security, or joy will find it almost impossible to give love, security or joy. Similar to silver or gold as what Peter said, we can’t give what we don’t have.
The converse is true. What we have, especially those that we have in great abundance, can be shared with others. So when Peter said ‘I will give you what I have’, I just had to reflect on what exactly did Peter have.
Firstly, Peter had immense Faith in Christ. He possesses the Theological virtue of Faith. His Faith does have supernatural origin – it’s Faith that he received as a grace from God. It’s not something he got out of his own hard work.
Secondly, I think Peter’s heart was filled with the love of Christ. And it is this love of Christ that he has shared with the cripple. Because Peter had been filled with the love of Christ, Christ was able to send this love to the cripple through Peter.
Next, I think Peter’s heart was filled with the peace of Christ. As the song says, it’s the peace that the world cannot give. So when he said that he neither had silver nor gold, I could imagine him saying it, but not being bothered by it. I could never imagine him worrying about anything.
I would like to invite us to take this time to reflect on what fills our hearts right now. Is it filled with hurt? Is it filled with human love? Is it filled with Divine Love? Whatever fills our heart will constitute what we can share with others.
And if we feel that our hearts are not filled with what we want it to be filled with, let’s ask God to fill it with what is lacking. Everything about God is described not just in abundance, but in ‘overabundance’. His love is overflowing. The picture of Divine Mercy shows mercy overflowing from his heart.
God emptied himself for us. And God is the Alpha and Omega. God is eternity and infinity. This was emptied for us. I’m pretty sure that there is enough to fill our hearts to overflowing so we can be channels of God’s love to others.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)
Prayer: Dear Lord, please fill our hearts with whatever you see is lacking.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for your overflowing love for me.
OXYGEN 
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