Homily: Tuesday - 16th Week in OT - Jesus stretched forth his hands

When Jesus, in the Gospel today, proclaimed “those who do the will of the heavenly Father” to be his “mothers, and sisters and brothers”, did you notice what he did with his hands? He “stretched out his hands”. A few times in the Gospel Jesus does this, typically when performing a healing miracle. 

He stretches out his hand and touches a leper to cleanse him.  Remember when Peter, commanded by the Lord to walk on the water, begins to doubt, and starts sinking? Jesus stretches out his hand to Peter, to save Peter from drowning.

Extending a hand, is a gesture of healing, a gesture of saving, and in the sense of today’s Gospel, a gesture of incorporating.

Extending the hands is a beautiful gesture depicted often in the scriptures. Psalm 144 asks God to stretch forth his hand from on high to rescue us and save us. While Isaiah speaks of God stretching forth his hand over all the nations to fulfill his plan of salvation.  Moses is even commanded by God to stretch out his hands over the red sea, that the Hebrew slaves might be delivered safely from their Egyptian captors.

This gesture is used quite often in the most sacred liturgical prayers of the Church.  The priest stretches his hands over the bread and wine, calling down the Holy Spirit over the gifts which have been placed on the altar.  He stretches his hands over the water of the baptismal font and calls down the holy spirit as he blesses water for baptism.  Though you often can’t see it, as the priest prays the prayer of absolution in the sacrament of confession, he stretches out his hand to the penitent. Again, the priest stretches out his hand over the sick and the dying in the sacrament of anointing.

The bishop stretches his hands over those he is about to confirm. And, he does the same at sacred ordination, stretching out his hands over those men he is ordaining deacons or priests.

In a sense, bride and groom stretch out their hands to each other, they join hands as they exchange the vows in which God joins them as one.

This gesture in all seven sacraments show us that God does indeed save us, heal us, unite us.

And really, in God, those three actions, saving, healing, uniting, are one. To the extent that we are united to God, we are saved and healed.  Because Jesus stretched his hands out on the cross, we are able to be saved and incorporated into the very life of God--a broken relationship healed, through the stretching out of hands.

We thank God today for stretching out his hands to his, inviting us, blessing us, and healing us, that we may walk as disciples of the Lord, and stretch out our hands to all those in need, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.