Neither Silver nor Gold

Soon after Pentecost when Peter and John approached the Temple, they were confronted by a crippled beggar asking for alms, but since they had "neither silver nor gold," (Acts 3:6), they gave what they did possess, the power to heal. They offered him their hands, he got up, and when he realized he was healed, he began to praise God and followed them into the temple.

If your household is like ours, there isn't a day when there aren't several "urgent" solicitations from an infinite number of organizations in the mail. No one of us has enough silver nor gold to satisfy them, and when we do send a small gift, (and even if we don't) the requests keep coming and coming. What can we substitute for silver and gold? Most likely these solicitations yield enough income to keep generating the letters and numerous gifts and address labels they send us. They will function with or without our help. But it might be more effective to apply our "silver and gold", our power to heal, to those immediately around us. We cannot measure how significant believing in someone, encouraging someone, standing by someone are, but recently I received an indication in letters from two students from my Bishop Donahue days, to whom I gave these simple, uncostly gifts. The now young adults told me how much my attention helped them to grow into the men I saw in embryonic form when they were scattered teenagers, and they thanked me for believing in them, being their model, brother and friend. I've kept them in daily prayer since I came north in 2005, and now am blessed to see them in their "resurrected state", enjoying life with a purpose and direction. What an Easter gift! I didn't even realize the impact I was having on them! It doesn't have to be silver or gold, we can give much more!
Bro. Rene