Bright Friday
Acts 3:1-8; John 2:12-22
Bright Week. No fasting or abstention from foods
Read Acts 3:1-8
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we read about a miracle that Peter worked when he was heading to the temple with John for prayer. A man “lame from his mother’s womb” (Acts 3:2) was taken by the right hand and lifted up, “and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength” (Acts 3:7). The Acts of the Apostles is filled with accounts of miracles and healings worked by the early Church.
The lame man was seeking alms of silver or gold, but once Peter grabbed his attention, Peter told him, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 6). Notice that Peter performed this miracle in the name of our risen Lord Jesus and not by his own power.
So, what was it that Peter had and was able to give the lame man? By Jesus’ power, the man was able to enter the temple with Peter and John, “walking, leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8). No doubt, Peter not only gave the man the gift of his healing but also the gifts of faith in Christ and joy. Peter and the other apostles not only preached and baptised, but their healing ministry also manifested God’s presence and activity in the Church.
On Bright Friday, it is customary to remember the Mother of God under the title of “Life-Giving Spring.” We commemorate the consecration of the Church of the Life-Giving Spring outside of Constantinople which was built around the middle of the 5th century over a spring through which many miraculous healings have been made throughout the centuries through the intercession of the Mother of God. Just as Christ’s power worked through Peter to heal the lame man in today’s reading, so too His power can work through His blessed Mother and the waters of a spring. God remains active in the Church and manifests His power to us across all generations. As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, let us not forget the miracles that are worked through faith.