Silver and Gold

I was blessed to speak to the many wonderful volunteers at Mater Dei Parish in Sioux City, IA as part of an appreciation dinner. I promised to make those notes available here on our website to them and really anyone who finds this page. I pray it will be a word in season and will bring both encouragement and inspiration! Below you will also find a link to a podcast episode we did for Draw Near on this same topic if you would like a fuller discussion.

Those who attended the talk, may find that some of what I shared (testimonies, names of people, examples and such) may not appear in the notes.

Thank you again everyone for taking up the call to to be apostles; agents of evangelization and the renewal of the world around us through the joy of the Gospel. Wherever you find your selves, however you may serve, know that you have been called and gifted, created by love, for love, to love; to reveal the love of Christ to those around you. Be assured of our prayers for you!

- Fred Shellabarger

SCRIPTURE READING:
Acts 3:1-10
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer. And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.” Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.

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You could be anywhere else right now, but you are here. Like Peter and John, you’ve allowed YOUR plans, to be interrupted a bit. While a thank you, appreciation dinner is important, and it is good to know that you are appreciated, its not this dinner that I am referring to. 

It’s your life. Like Peter and John, you’ve allowed the needs of others to, at least in some small way, interrupt your plans. Your desires. This is a good thing! But, what can we learn about this account in Scripture? 

Notice first, that Peter and John did not allow their schedule to keep them from being open to opportunities to share the love of God that the Lord might place before them throughout their day. These are the Apostles (with a capital “A”). On their way to the Temple at 3:00. You know, that’s a pretty significant hour, correct? It was for the Jewish people of the time as well. They are trying to build this new thing called, the Church. Peter is the Pope. Yet, they paused. 

Not only that, but Peter “looked intently” at the man that so many had undoubtedly passed by every day. They looked intently! That means with great love. Luke’s account here also points out that the Apostles say to the beggar, “Look at us.” Almost as if they are saying, “See what great love we have for you.” But more importantly, “See what love and mercy God has for you.” 

The apostles I believe allowed “their plans” to be interrupted here in this instance because they recognized something that our culture, and even many Catholics fail to recognize. The purpose for which we were created.

Let’s take a step back, from the Beautiful Gate; from Peter and John and the Crippled Beggar; from Mater Dei Parish. Let’s look at you. You all know and have likely heard by now, I hope, that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, correct?  

But it goes much deeper than that. Before the foundations of the world, God had each of you in mind. He loved that idea so much that he created you. Made that idea a reality and gave you life. He created you out of love, for love, to love. His loving thoughts of you is literally what holds you together.

But it goes deeper than that still! Because in creating you, not only did he give you life, but he also created you for a very specific purpose. A mission if you will, that only you can accomplish. He ordered your life so that you would have the right gifts, the right talents, and the right set of circumstances to help cultivate that purpose and those gifts in your life. Most importantly, so that you might be the best channel of the supernatural grace he has made available to you through relationship with Him; through the Sacraments, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the Church.

We can hear that phrase and find it intimidating. But it shouldn’t be. It does not mean the Lord is calling you to be the next St Francis of Assisi… Or, maybe, in a way he is! I’ll come back to that in a moment. 

What does it mean? What is your purpose? It comes down to just one word. Love. God has called and gifted each and every one of us in a unique way to reveal an aspect of His love in the world, to all those around us; a way that only we can. It was true for Peter and John, it was also true for the crippled beggar. It’s true for you.

In other words, God’s love is so overwhelming, so intense that each one of us has a unique way in which God has created us to reveal that love in the world. God wants to show forth his love through you in a way unique to you. In that sense, he needs you. Because, it’s what you were created for! 

It may seem like I’m going off topic, but stay with me! We pray it all the time in the Our Father. “Hallowed be thy name.” What does that mean? It means, “Lord, may your name be praised on account of me. Lord, in all that I set my hand to this day, may others encounter you.  Christ in the eye of everyone that sees me. Christ in the ear of everyone that hears me. Christ in the mind of everyone that thinks of me. Lord, may your name be praised.” 

We pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” What does it mean? Well… in a very real way it means:

God who is love, fill me so full of that love that it may overflow into the hearts of all those around me. Lord, God Almighty, help me to love better, to love stronger, to love deeper, to love more fully like yourself. Holy Spirit, God who is love, help me to love well. Come, Holy Spirit. Inspire my thoughts. Guide my words and direct my actions. May all of these serve to build your kingdom in my heart, in my home, in my relationships, and in the world around me.

And that is exactly what we see happening here. In this Scripture passage, and even in this room. Though many of you might not have ever thought of your service to the Church in this way. I pray that changes tonight. 

There are many crippled beggars in the world, sitting at the beautiful gates of our lives. Begging for alms, even when they don't realize they are not asking for the thing they need the most. Even when we don’t notice them, or look at them intently… they are still there. 

The Lord has given you what they need the most! He has called you, poured out His love in your heart, and gifted you for such a time as this to meet the needs of those around you.

Notice Peter, said, “I don’t have what you are asking for, but what I do have I give you.” What did he give him? 

Right! Jesus. So. Do. You. Peter prayed a very simple prayer. He was not discouraged by what he felt he did not have or what he lacked. He recognized one thing that is also true for us. God thirsts for souls. He thirst for the love of his children. He thirsts through us. And in God’s infinite love and mercy, he allows us to participate in the great work of salvation. 

You may feel like what you do, or where you serve is insignificant. But that’s not true. You may feel like you have nothing unique to give, but you volunteer anyway! You may feel like you are searching for how better to serve the Church... But you just are not sure how. Maybe you have been serving and you are wondering, what difference has it made? Wherever you are, do not doubt that you have been given your own, “neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you”.

You have the silver and gold that the world needs most. Similar to Peter and John, you are an “apostle.” Don’t get too excited, its a little “a.” But still, whatever, however, wherever you serve in the Church, and perhaps even more importantly, how you live your faith in the world, are important in the building up of the Church. In that sense once again, you are necessary. You have been created, called and gifted to for such a time as this. To show forth the love of God in the world in a way unique to you.

In one of our favorite books, I BELIEVE IN LOVE, which is a retreat based on the life and teachings of St Therese of Lisieux, Fr Jean d’Elbee affirms, “Never doubt that you are an apostle.” In other words, don’t give in to discouragement. He roots this declaration in the words of Christ himself : “Abide in me and I in you for apart from me you can do nothing. Abide in me and I in you and you WILL bear much fruit” (John 15:5).

He does not promise that you will see it! But he does promise that when you abide, like Peter and John, you will bear fruit. Fr d’Elbee goes on to say that it’s good to pray, “Give me souls take all else away.” Many great saints have prayed this same prayer. But, Fr d’Elbee goes one step farther by declaring, “Its even better to pray, ‘Lord thank you for the souls that have been won by me (through my witness, prayers, example and service) simply because you promised me they would.’” You will bear fruit. You make a difference.

What’s your part? Abiding. Looking intently. Allowing the Holy Spirit to enkindle the fire of God’s love in your heart so that HE may renew the face of the earth through you. 

Wherever you serve, in whatever way, the same is true. It’s true for all disciples of Christ. 

St Paul stresses this as well in 1 Corinthians 12. We all have gifts. Some may get the status, some may get the glory, or as is often the case in leadership, some may get the complaints… But all are necessary. 

St Therese reminds us of this as well,  “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” Never doubt the power of a simple smile and a kind word! Often they are critical ingredients in looking intently at a world full of crippled beggars.

In being here tonight, in serving Mater Dei Parish over this last year, and however long you have served the parish, and in whatever way you have served, in a way unique to each one of you, you also have helped, if you will forgive a good metaphor, the crippled beggar to walk. You have shared, in a way unique to you, the love of Christ with others. Your silver and gold. 

But, there is still more! And it has to do with renewing the Church. In us all becoming who God created us to be. I mentioned there are a lot of crippled beggars in our lives. That’s true. Im one of them. So are you. We all are! And so, I’m gonna leave you with a bit of a challenge. 

I hear a lot of negative talk about the state of the Church. But, I am not discouraged by that. God likes to bring forth new life in the midst of our mess. He also likes to make us a part of his plan. He only needs our “yes.” 

Earlier I mentioned that God’s not calling any of you to be the next St Francis, and that’s true. However, there is a call of St Francis that I think remains true for us today. And it applies to our Scripture plassage. 

God said to St Francis, “Go rebuild my Church.” What did he do, he picked up a broom. Learned how to lay bricks and roll paint (a little bit of a twenty first century retelling on that one). He served the people right in front of him that were the most in need. Long story short, he started right where he was. THAT was his silver and gold. It’s yours too! 800 years later, he is still rebuilding the Church. But again, he did so by starting right where he was. Again, that was his silver and gold.

When we give the silver and gold we do have, when we commit our lives, deeper and deeper, to living the life of an apostle what happens?

Let’s return to our Scripture passage!

Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.

This is what the world needs most. This is what the world is really asking for. And you have it in abundance!

If you would like to hear more on this Scripture passage, check out our podcast episode available here!