One of the
most familiar drawings in the world is the “Praying Hands.” It was sketched by
a great German artist Albrecht Dürer
using ink and pencil on blue colored paper in the early 14th
century. The drawing focuses on the hands of a man praying with his body out of
view. It took more than a year to complete because the artist totally poured
refined precision and exquisite craftsmanship into it. Today, this stunning
masterpiece is found, along with Dürer’s finest collection of drawings, at the
Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria.
It was a commissioned art work. But there are many stories
surrounding its origin. One version has it that the artist used his brother’s
hands as model to honor those hands that worked and suffered for him. The obra
simply immortalized the nurturing hands of his brother.
When I attended the ordination to the priesthood of Fr.
Generoso A. Llenos at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Punta
Princesa, Cebu City on May 23, 2015, I was reminded of the “Praying Hands.” During
the laying of hands by Archbishop Jose S. Palma on his head, I observed the
hands of his parents Mr. and Mrs. Celeste Llenos clasped in prayer position.
They were certainly praying for their son, Gene. Indeed, all these years they
have been praying. Finally he is ordained a priest! Those hands also provided
for him, fed him, cared for and supported him. The priest is never alone in his
journey to the altar.
Now those
hands that once were nurtured will be anointed. In an amazing manner, after the
bishop anoints his hands with holy oil, those will be consecrated hands to do a
work exclusively sacred: to bless, to absolve sins and consecrate the bread and
wine. Those hands will now be the extension of Jesus’ hands in the world.
At the rite
of ordination, the bishop presents an offered chalice and paten to the new
priest symbolizing the spiritual power that grace has bestowed on him. Many
times, we priests, acquire a great sense of entitlement by using such power for
self-serving reasons. Perhaps a towel and a basin should also go along to
remind the priest of his role as servant leader in the community. Just like
Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples, he needs to reach out in humble
service.
The priest
is to model his life on the mystery of the Lord’s cross. It is for this reason
that when St. John Bosco was just a newly ordained priest his mother, Margaret,
reminded him: “Remember John, to begin to say mass is to begin to suffer.” The
very heart of priesthood is the Eucharist. Just so suffering is part and parcel
of the priestly life. The vocation of the priest is to unite himself to Christ
for the glory of God and the sanctification of the world.
As we
celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, we need to take a second
look at the Eucharist. It expresses the incredible love of Jesus. It is a
memorial that brings us back to his Last Supper when he took with his sacred
hands the bread and the wine. He broke his body and shared his blood to become
the source of our nourishment and purpose. Every time we offer the Eucharist we
remember Jesus’ tremendous sacrifice. Through it the world is continually blest
and each participant constantly renewed. Our challenge is to see beyond the
bread and wine the extraordinary love of our Savior and Lord.
The
Eucharist immortalized the nourishing hands of Jesus giving himself to us as
antidote for our indifference. Those hands were pierced by nails but they never
gave up on giving. Our Eucharistic communion makes us part of the one family of
God united in both suffering and glory. Every time we clasp our hands together
in prayer to work for unity we become stronger. Through us the world is blest
and sanctified. As Body of Christ and a priestly people, we become the
extension of the praying hands of Jesus in our times.
