The Hands of God

The Hands of God

One of the most moving moments as a high school teenager was the time I was visiting my mother in a hospital.  She was slowly recovering from an infection that had taken its toll on her.  As she lay there calmly I chose to inform her that I had made a terrible mistake that would cost me dearly.  I will never forget her smile and the gentle caress of her hand on my face telling me that this time of suffering will pass and that it would make me a better and stronger person.  What I felt most from her at that moment was her love and mercy, cultivated through her own sufferings and joys.  As she held my face I knelt down beside her and kissed her hands now moistened by my tears.  I experienced God’s love in a profound way.  Like life giving food, it would nourish me well in the days ahead as I began to confront the consequences of my deeds.  I embraced the pain of my sin and emerged from it with a renewed sense of hope and joy.

Rembrandt’s 17th Century painting Return of the Prodigal captures a scene from the 15th Chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel.  The parable of the man with two sons is one I remember fondly from my childhood and one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  One of the striking features in that painting are the hands of the father welcoming his son home.  Henri Nouwen, in his classic book entitled Return of the Prodigal Son, puts it this way:

 “The true center of Rembrandt’s painting is the hands of the father.  On them

all the light is concentrated; on them the eyes of the bystanders are focused;

in them mercy becomes flesh; upon them forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing

come together, and, through them, not only the tired son, but also the

worn-out father find their rest”.

FullSizeRender

Nouwen continues with further reflections on the father’s hands and speaks of them as embodying both masculine and feminine features that symbolize God, “in whom both manhood and womanhood, fatherhood and motherhood, are fully present.”

In my darkest hour, the hands of my mother became for me the conduit of God’s mercy.  As Nouwen says so well, in them mercy becomes flesh, or in the words of the great Spanish mystic Teresa of Avila:

“Christ has no body but yours.  No hands, no feet on earth but yours.  Your are

the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.  Your are the feet

with which he walks to do good.  Your are the hands through which he blesses

all the world.  Christ has no body now on earth but yours”.

Author:

DSC_0751 (1)

Cecilio Reyna is a Board Certified Chaplain serving as a Hospice Chaplain in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He holds a Masters in Divinity from the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.

The following two tabs change content below.

CenterQuest

Latest posts by CenterQuest (see all)

5 thoughts on “The Hands of God”

  1. Lanny Lancaster

    Thanks for the great reminder, Cecilio, that mercy is not just an abstract concept but a physical reality. The power of touch is immense. God did not just pronounce mercy from the heavens, but came and walked the dusty earth on his own feet, touched and healed the sick with his own hands, held the splintery cross in his own grip, and offered his own hands to Thomas so that he also could know the mercy of the Resurrection.

    1. Yes, so many examples of the touch of God in our lives. Jesus offering his hands and side to Thomas, along with so many other examples in Scripture remind us of God’s nature and mercy. Well said Larry.

  2. Cecilio, that story of you experiencing God’s love, forgiveness, and hope through your mom brought tears to my eyes. What faith she must have had to respond that way! It reminds me of how Julian of Norwich describes God as calmly confident and smiling.

    1. My mother’s faith brought me great consolation. I felt the merciful and tender side of God through her. I thank you for the gift of your tears since they remind me of my mother’s presence and God’s Spirit. Thank you for sharing Vanessa.

  3. Fr. Cecilio, as I was looking for an email address for you I came across this blog you posted and was very thankful to find this. Your mother’s strength, love and mercy during such a hard time was such a great reminder for me. I am not sure how else to find your email and if you have time, I would appreciate reconnecting and getting your advice and guidance. My emai address is cunninghambb@gmail.com.
    I hope all is well and that I hear from you soon.
    Happy Easter!
    Cassidy Cunningham

Comments are closed.