Hands

In a few hours time, I will shake hands with my hosts here in Chicago, Sisters of the Resurrection. This gesture, will speak volumes, though in silence. Will speak of friendship, love and sorrow of departure...


God gave us our hands. Jesus shwed His disciples His hands after the Resurrection, so we believe in Him, trust and love Him.

Our Lady shows us her hands in her statues and pictures, saying without words: 'Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name.' (Isa 49:15-16). Her hands, the palms of Her hands are nothing else but a short catechesis on the fundamental virtues of the follower of Christ in the school of love of Jesus, where the headmistress in none but Our Lady herself. Through Her to Jesus!

What are these virtues? I will present only five, based on the Gospel, which, to me are the most important ones. They are five just as five are the fingers of the palms of our hands...

FIVE VIRTUES OF THE CHILD OF OUR LADY (based on the Gospel):

1. Obedience – „Behold, the servant of the Lord, your will be done” (obedience to the Word of God; obiedience to our vocation),

2. Living Faith – „Blessed are you who believed ” (She believed even at the cross holding the dead body of Her Son),

3. Humility – „Your father and me” (she puts herself behind Joseph while talking to Jesus after finding Him in the Jerusalem's Temple); I remember Cardinal Macharski of Krakow, when he spoke during the banquet in honor of the Holy Father John Paul II on the occasion of the Jubilee of 25 years of his pontificate: 'How immensely focused on Jesus must be the Holy Father to not be afraid of the greatness of another person?' (the beatification of Mother Theresa was the very next day after His Jubilee),

4. Sensitivity and ability to recognize others needs – „They have no wine” (She was the only one to notice this and took action immediately),

5. Complete trust in God – „Do whatever He tells you” (tell Jesus your story and leave it up to Him how and when He will respond...

We don’t have to carry thick books on theology and spirituality to grow in perfection and love. We have our own hands and our own five fingers. We put our hands together to pray or expand our hands in prayer. Five fingers remind us constantly of those basic virtues we should seek in our lives if we want to be perfect children of God. Obedience, living faith, humility, sensitivity and ability to recognize others needs and to act upon them, and complete trust in God...

At the end of my stop in Chicago, on my way to friendly and welcoming hearts in North America, shaking hands with my hosts with grateful heart, I wish to tell them on the hour of my departure:

Thank you for accepting me, a pilgrim on the face of this earth, spreading the message on Divine Mercy, under your roof, in your welcoming community. I came alone, but I leave today, carrying you in my grateful heart. Pray for me as I pray now and will be always for you. Thank you!