A Reflection through ImagesA Reflection through Images

VocationVocation

andand

The Work of Our Hands The Work of Our Hands

A TIME TO REFLECT ON THE WORK OF A TIME TO REFLECT ON THE WORK OF OUR HANDS…OUR HANDS…

Bless our hands...Bless our hands...Often just appendages at the end of our Often just appendages at the end of our

arms...arms...workers doing their job without workers doing their job without

appreciation...looked at, yet not really appreciation...looked at, yet not really seen.seen.

These instruments of love have done These instruments of love have done mundane tasks, yet also create beauty.mundane tasks, yet also create beauty.

They reach out, touch, stroke, scrub, lift, They reach out, touch, stroke, scrub, lift, grasp, gesture and guide.grasp, gesture and guide.

These hands, our hands, gifts of great These hands, our hands, gifts of great importance,importance,

Blessing be on them and in them as we Blessing be on them and in them as we continue to work with them.continue to work with them.

May the fruits of their labour be good.May the fruits of their labour be good.

Contemplate the work of your hands.

What is the nature of your personal vocation at ______________School?

Reflect on the following images and note which ones say something to you

about your vocation.

We are God’s Hands…..We are God’s Hands…..

In pairs share an image which said something to you about your vocation:

What does the image say about you and the way God works through you as a person in this school?

Name:Name: Christ has no Body now but Christ has no Body now but yoursyours

No hands, no feet on earth but No hands, no feet on earth but yoursyours

Yours are the eyes through Yours are the eyes through which he lookswhich he looks

Compassion on the worldCompassion on the worldYours are the feet with which he Yours are the feet with which he

walkswalksTo do goodTo do goodYours are the hands Yours are the hands

with which he with which he blessesblesses

All the world.All the world.

All:All: Ours are the Ours are the handshands

Ours are the Ours are the feetfeet

Ours are the Ours are the eyeseyes

We are his bodyWe are his bodyPlanning in the Planning in the

KingdomKingdom

Name:Name: It helps, now and It helps, now and then, then, to step to step backback

and take the long and take the long view.view.

The kingdom is The kingdom is not only not only beyond our beyond our effortsefforts It is even It is even beyond our beyond our vision.vision.

All:All: Lord, we commit ourselves Lord, we commit ourselves to the work to the work of our hands.of our hands.

Name:Name: We accomplish in We accomplish in our our lifetimelifetime

Only a fraction of Only a fraction of the the magnificent magnificent enterpriseenterprise that is that is God’s workGod’s work

Nothing we do is Nothing we do is complete,complete,

which is another which is another way of way of saying that saying that thethe Kingdom Kingdom always lies always lies beyond beyond us.us.

All:All:

Lord, we commit Lord, we commit ourselves ourselves to the work of our to the work of our hands.hands.

Name: No Statement says all that Name: No Statement says all that could be could be said.said.

No prayer fully expresses our No prayer fully expresses our faithfaith

No confession brings perfectionNo confession brings perfectionNo pastoral visit brings wholenessNo pastoral visit brings wholenessNo program accomplishes No program accomplishes

all of the Church’s all of the Church’s mission mission No No set of goals and set of goals and objectives includes objectives includes everything. everything.

All:All: Lord, we commit ourselves Lord, we commit ourselves to the work to the work of our hands.of our hands.

Name :Name : This is what we are This is what we are about.about.

We plant the seeds We plant the seeds that one that one day will grow.day will grow.

We water seeds We water seeds already already plantedplanted

Knowing that they Knowing that they hold hold future future promise.promise.

We lay foundations We lay foundations that will that will need further need further developmentdevelopment

We provide yeast We provide yeast that that produces produces effects far effects far beyond beyond our capabilities.our capabilities.

All:All: Lord, we commit ourselves to Lord, we commit ourselves to the work of our the work of our hands.hands.

Name:Name: We cannot do everythingWe cannot do everythingand there is a sense of and there is a sense of

liberation in liberation in realising thatrealising that

This enables us to do This enables us to do something, something, and to and to

do it very welldo it very well It may be It may be incompleteincomplete

but it is a beginning,but it is a beginning,A step along the way, A step along the way,

An opportunity for An opportunity for thethe Lord’s grace to Lord’s grace to enter and do the enter and do the rest.rest.

All:All:

Lord, we Lord, we commit commit ourselves to ourselves to the work of the work of our hands.our hands.

Name:Name: We may never see the end We may never see the end results,results,

but that is the difference but that is the difference betweenbetween

the master builder and the the master builder and the worker.worker.

All:All: We are workers,We are workers,Not master builders,Not master builders,Ministers,Ministers,Not messiahs.Not messiahs.We are prophets of a We are prophets of a

future not future not our own.our own.

Ours are the handsOurs are the handsOurs are the feetOurs are the feetOurs are the eyesOurs are the eyesWe are his bodyWe are his body.Amen.Amen.