I want you to look at your hands. Look at your palms. Look at the creases, the lines. Maybe your hands have calluses or sores. Now turn them over. Look at your skin. Maybe there are sun spots, maybe your fingernails have dirt on the edges.
Now consider what these hands have done. They probably grasped a finger when you were a new born. And eventually you figured out how to use your hands to put food into your mouth.
These hands helped catch yourself when you fell as a toddler and crashed to the floor. At some point you learned how to use your hands to write, to draw, do math . . . maybe even use a calculator or a cell phone.
Your hands may have been taught how to come together for prayer. You used your hands to tie many shoe laces and pull up boots. Maybe you used your hand to build things or to cook things.
You certainly used your hands to comb hair, wash up and make your most presentable. You might have used these hands to wipe away a tear, applaud an event . . . . and perhaps touch someone you love. But these have been hands to shake “hello” and reach out during the Lord’s Prayer during Mass.
This past Tuesday, we celebrated the feast of St. Teresa of Avila (or St. Teresa of Jesus as she is known). She lived it the 1500’s. She had a prayer that says, “God has no other hands but yours.” Think about it, your hands are what God uses . . . everyday.
Now the gospel reading talks about “praying constantly.” Jesus then goes on to use an example of a dishonest judge who does good things because of a woman’s persistence. So if a dishonest judge will do such things, how much more will God do things . . . when we ask, when we pray?
But the way God will do MOST of the things we ask . . . is by using our own two hands. “God has no hands but yours.” God wants to answer our prayers, but we can’t just sit around and expect God to do all the work.
A priest colleague of mine recently had back surgery. I asked him how it is going. “Not so good. I still have lots of stiffness and pain. The doctor wants me to do all these stretches and exercises, but I don’t do them much.” Hello! How you do think healing happens? We can’t just expect miracles to appear, we have to do our part.
[Story] It’s like the story of a flood. A man was in his home and prayed for God to save him. The waters got higher and higher; so a boat comes by to rescue the man. But he says, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to save me.” Then the waters get higher and he prayed harder and another boat comes by and the man says, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to save me.” Then the water got so high that the man had to climb onto his roof. He prays harder and harder. A helicopter comes by and drops a ladder down. The man yells up, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to save me.” Then the flood water got so high that the man drowned. He dies and goes up to the Pearly Gates. There he meets God. The man says, “What gives? I prayed and prayer for you to save me.” God said, “Didn’t you get the two boats and helicopter that I sent?”
In another part of the gospel. Jesus says, stop worrying. Look at the birds in the sky, they don’t fret, yet God feeds them. Hello! But the birds don’t just sit there on a branch and expect a worm to appear in their mouth. No. They go do their part and God takes care of them.
It’s the same with us. Yes, pray constantly . . . but go to the doctor, do your exercises, eat healthier, get your sleep, lose some weight. Yes God will answer your prayers . . . but usually it will be through what you do! It is your hands that will allow God to do good works. These hands are how God will answer your prayers.
[Story] It is like the story of the woman who came to Church. She was so lonely and stressed about many things. She even started to doubt the existence of God. So she prayed, “God is you are real. If you do hear men and care about me, show me a sign.” All of a sudden she felt a touch on her arm. Wow! She looks around and sees another woman kneeling beside her. The other woman says, “What? Do you think that God is going to reach all the way down from heaven to touch you? God just used the hand that was closed by.”
I believe that your hands are what God intends to do marvelous things. Maybe to help out in times of trouble, like Moses did in the first reading with his hands outstretched. Maybe it is to use your hands to grab a rake, take the dish towel, bake some cookies for a neighbor.
Look at your hands again. Maybe God also wants good things to happen . . . and all that you have to do, is stop clenching your fist when you pray. For example [I hold my fist up in the air]
and demand that God does this or that. . . . but instead open your hands [I demonstrate] and allow God grace to come to you.
St. Teresa’s entire prayer goes like this . . .
Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God, lacks nothing. God alone suffices.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which God is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which God is to bless the people.