Empty Hands

Do God's works of Mercy and Love using our hands.

"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." - James 2:24 (ESV)

I heard one of my friend-priests sharing a story of a certain woman who had a dream. In her dream she died and she was face to face with St. Peter. She told St. Peter that she ought to be admitted to heaven.

St. Peter asked why he should let her enter heaven. The woman said that she was a faithful daily mass goer in her parish, she prayed everyday. She was faithful daughter of the church. The she showed her hands to him saying, "I have not done anything. You see, my hands are clean."

St. Peter examining the hands of the woman agreed that they were indeed clean. But he added, "Yes, your hands are clean, but they are also empty."

Sin of omission, the good things that we can do but we never did is a sin that will bring us to hell. Our faith must be manifested with our service to people. Our love of God must be manifested with the love of neighbor. Do not be empty handed. It is okey that our hands are dirty doing God's work of mercy!

Prayer:

Lord, I am sorry for the times I neglected doing good. Use my hands, make them dirty by doing acts of kindness to people. Amen.