Hands

I’ve been having some wonderful troubles with my hands recently.
I am currently writing this blog post using only one finger on my left hand after having injured my left hand…fun story…running into a piano at the seminary. (I wish I could say I was running away from other seminarians…or pirates…or dragons.) But it was Game 5 of the World Series, and I needed to see my boys win. (Na-po-li! Na-po-li!)
Seeing as no more needs to be said, the middle, ring, and pinky fingers of my left hand are currently taped together with hospital tape, and I am using a pen as a stint for my ring finger (which has swelled and discolored some.) Ironically enough, today the school nurse was booked, and tomorrow’s her day off. So, my makeshift stint will have to last.
Over the summer, the index finger of my right hand was rendered mostly incapable (via meatslicer.) So, being mostly one-handed is nothing new to me, and I seem to be managing just fine. (Yet in guitar language, these are my key fretting fingers… :( …)
Anyways, the point being this:
How often do we underestimate such basic human abilities as our hands? And by what right do we even declare ourselves worth of using such basic abilities?
Whenever I play or sing music for any form of liturgy or prayer, I make this prayer:
“These are not my hands, Lord; Lord, take my hands.”
The same for my voice,
“This is not my tongue, Lord; Lord, take my tongue.”
I pray this so that it might be His works done through me, a mere instrument of His will.
Another common prayer I make whenever I write is simply writing the letters “AMDG” which stand for, “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,” or “For the greater glory of God.”
Here at the seminary, the same idea applies. Everything I do must be done entirely for His will and done with genuine humility. It is not I who do great works. I am simply an instrument of His greatness.
Now the reason I am writing this at all as a personal witness is not because I wish to brag at my success. Quite honestly, there’s no success by which to brag. And that’s just it. This is still very much a work in progress. I am learning…slowly, but with His grace, I believe surely.
This has not been a lesson easily learned either.
(But more on that to come…)