March 20, 2016

HANDS! 

PALMS UP

Hands - great when some one waves to us -

palms up! Great too - when someone claps

or waves palms for us.

Hands - not good when someone tightens 

their fist - because they are angry or scared - 

at us - or they give us a nasty gesture or a

thumbs down or signal, “Stay away!”

Hands - up close - cold - dead -

in a casket - in a funeral parlor -

with a rosary in hand  - and we kneel there

and say a prayer for the person who has died

and forgive or ask forgiveness for
all the times we didn't give each other
a hand or shake hands or wave 
or clap hands for each other.

Hands - with palms in hand - waved

to Jesus on that first Palm Sunday -

but by Friday some of those same hands

are gesturing - "Thumbs down!" and

screaming, “Crucify him!” “Crucify him!”

Hands - and Jesus’ hands are nailed

to the cross that Friday afternoon -

and the world becomes dark and

the veil in the temple is ripped in two

and Judas on another tree kills himself

by his own hand.

Hands - those hands - those palms

of Jesus - will open again - and again - and
again in resurrection and be shown at Easter 
to Thomas and to us - to challenge us to look

at Jesus wounds and cuts and have faith

that Christ the Lord has risen from the dead.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

    

© Andy Costello  Reflections  2016