No Hands But Ours

“He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work...” Mark 13:34

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Most of us miss Advent and go straight to Christmas. My husband was a stickler for observing Advent when we got married, and I could not put up a Christmas tree till really late in December. But the ‘advent’ of our son Josh changed that, and we put up the tree for the little boy who was fascinated with the lights.

But Advent and Christmas is not all about the decor, the lights, the gifts, the parties, but more about what goes on in our hearts. We are in an in-between time, in between Christ’s first coming when He arrived as a babe in a manger, and His second coming. We do not know when Christ will come again. Meanwhile, we are to be watchful, ready, and waiting. Jesus likens us to servants waiting for the master who has gone on a long journey. The master has placed his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to keep watch over the property. What is our work, do you think? Is it to be a mother, a teacher, a garbage collector, a chef, a congressman? Yes, whatever our role is in society, we need to do that to the best of our ability. But when our Master left, He gave us clear instructions to build His Kingdom. Before He left, He ordered, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If we’re a mother, we need to spread the gospel in our children’s hearts. If we’re a manager, a teacher, a cook, we need to spread the gospel in whatever way we can.

We need to be Jesus’s voice, His hands, His feet, His heart here on earth. Father Paul Uwemedino quoted Teresa of Avila yesterday in his talk: “Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours...Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world...Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Father Paul certainly walks his talk. He left his comfortable life in Nigeria to be Jesus to the poor in Payatas. He sold his worldly goods to make a place where God’s love could be experienced by them. Like him, we should reveal to the world God’s love, His mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, kindness and grace. This Advent, may we try to be Jesus to those with no hope, no joy, no peace.