One of the benefits of being isolated from the world is that I have had ample time to reflect on many things. I am an introvert by nature, although I do consider myself to be a “people person,” whenever my husband and I get the opportunity to socialize. Both of us, however, find peace in the comfort of our own home. Oftentimes, “going out” for us, even in good times, is a lengthy walk along a trail in our community. It’s amazing how much inspiration one can receive simply by taking a walk. Julia Cameron has written an entire book on the subject entitled, Walking in This World: The Practical Art of Creativity. When I was working on Mirror of the Soul: A Flutist’s Reflections, I would take long walks near my home before I began writing. As I was walking, I would listen to the words that entered my mind, and when I returned home, I would type everything that magically spoke to me. Ms. Cameron prefaces her above-mentioned work with an original poem: Jerusalem is Walking in This World. The final stanza of her poem states: It is all hosanna. It is all prayer. Jerusalem is Walking in This World. As I reread her poem this morning, I could not think of more appropriate words for Holy Week, which began with Palm Sunday.

It was so disappointing not to attend church this Palm Sunday, but my husband and I were able to watch a pre-recorded mass online that aired from Corpus Christi Parish in Pittston, PA. We were married in that church on 15 July 2017. Msgr. Sempa delivered a very inspiring homily on the “broken Christ” statue in Mexico (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santuario-del-cristo-roto-sanctuary-of-the-broken-christ). Legend has it that a broken crucifix was found by a priest who wished to repair it, but the “crucifix spoke to him and explained that its appearance would become a symbol for those who feel broken or lost.” Miguel Romo was inspired by this story and thus created his statue in 2006. This homily was a perfect way to begin Holy Week – by calling attention to the crucifixion of Christ and how his brokenness healed the world. Now, more than ever, we can identify with “brokenness” – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We crave healing.

I have always been drawn to the healing power of Christ, especially his healing hands. I wrote an entire chapter on Jesus as healer and miracle worker. His primary healing instruments were his sacred hands. In chapter two of my book, I share the story of how my baby sister was healed of leukemia with allopathic medicine and “hands-on” healing when my parents joined a charismatic community of men and women who extended their hands over my sister and prayed without ceasing. Each time these people completed a session, they repeatedly chanted, “We praise you and thank you, Jesus.” The power and energy of their words gave me goose bumps, and I never forgot the unshakable faith they had in the power of Christ to heal.

For the last several weeks, so much attention has been devoted to advising people to wash their hands. Washing hands can save one’s life. We are not only receiving these daily reminders, but we are asked to refrain from touching our faces or other people – no handshaking under any circumstances. Our hands are instruments of love, both literally and figuratively. When we meet someone new, we shake hands as a welcoming gesture. Lovers hold hands as a form of affection. Deals, especially in the past, have been sealed with a firm handshake. We soothe our pets by running our hands over their coats. When someone is in trouble, we lend a helping hand, but now all of this is temporarily suspended. We still, however, can be profoundly “touched” by viewing an exquisite work of art or listening to a beautiful piece of music. For the time being, it is all that remains.

I am going to share a short excerpt from chapter 2 of my book:

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.

                                    Isaiah 49:16 (KJV)

 When one falls down and scrapes a knee, cuts his finger with a knife, or burns his forearm on the top of the oven rack, he instinctively places his hand over the wound. On some level, one senses that the touch of the hand is the first step in the healing process. I ended the first chapter with a quote by William Blake, which stated that infinity could be held in the palm of one’s hand. This chapter begins with the quote from Isaiah, which declares that we will not be forgotten because we are engraved on the Lord’s palm. Job 10:8 reminds us that the Lord’s hands formed us and Genesis 1:27 states that God “created man in his own the image” (KJV). God’s hands, which shaped humans in his image, store a memory image of each person on his palms for all eternity. In God’s time or eternity all is whole or perfect. Our palms, which mirror the Creator’s palms, hold the secret to wholeness.

Each hand is a mirror image of the other. The left is associated with receiving, while the right is associated with giving. We receive Holy Communion, a symbol of the love and sacrifice of the Savior, with our left hands, and we also wear wedding rings, a symbol of love and lifelong commitment, on our left hands. Our right hands are the first we extend when we are introduced to new people. We offer gestures with our hands that are essential in communicating our truth and light. Hands provide our first glimpse into feeling by providing us with physical sensations. Experiencing the physical opens us up to the emotional. Through touch we feel or know hot or cold, smooth or rough, wet or dry, and hard or soft. It is through the hands that we come to know the heart.

 There are five fingers on each of our hands. The biblical significance of the number five is power and divine grace. The Torah consists of five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), and the Gospel of Matthew contains five narratives and five discourses. There are five parts to the Mass Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei). There were five prophesies of the birth of the Messiah, and while dying on the cross, Jesus bled from five wounds (two hands, two feet and his head). The five Greek words, Iota, Chi, Theta, Epsilon, Sigma, form the acrostic phrase Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, when the first letter of each word is combined into ICHTHYS. Ichthys is the Greek word for fish and is the reason why the fish symbol is associated with Christians. Jesus’ multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is so significant it appears in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:30–44, Luke 9:10–17 and John 6:1–15). Jesus had retreated to an area hoping to find solitude after he had learned of the beheading of John the Baptist, but the people followed him. He cured their sick and did not want to dismiss the crowds without providing them with something to eat. After taking the bread in his hands and looking up to heaven, he said a blessing and had the disciples distribute the food. Five thousand men were fed, and the food left over filled twelve baskets. As humans, we also have five senses through which we come to know our world.

 The Hebrew alphabet is sacred, and many healers visualize Hebrew letters to enhance the healing process. There are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Coincidentally, human beings each have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes – twenty-two pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. I find it remarkable that the number of autosomes mirrors the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Four Hebrew letters form the name Yeshua (ישוע) and are read from right to left (Yod, Shin Vav, Ayin). Graphic designer Karen Jacks features on her website, Sacred Hand Publishing (www.sacredhandpublishing.com), a stunning image of the right hand with palm up entitled the “Yeshua Hand.” She demonstrates that the Hebrew letters perfectly mirror the construction of our five fingers from thumb to pinky. Yod resembles the thumb, Shin resembles fingers two, three and four, Vav resembles the pinky, and Ayin resembles the “y” formed by the thumb and pinky as they merge into the wrist. The Hebrew name for Jesus literally forms our right hand. With the number five representing power and divine grace, we are given the power to heal with our hands in the name of Jesus.

 One of the roles of Jesus when he walked this earth was healer/miracle worker. In Mark 6:5–6 (OEB), we learn that Jesus cured some sick people by “placing his hands” on them. He restored sight to a blind man with the laying on of hands (Mark 8:22–26), and two blind men (Matthew 20:31) were able to see after he touched their eyes. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law by touching her hand in Matthew 8:14–15. A man suffering from a skin disease was cured after he placed his hands on him (Matthew 8:1–4). A deaf man’s hearing was restored after he put his fingers into the man’s ears and looked up to heaven and exclaimed, ”Be opened” (Mark 7:31–35 OEB). At sunset, in Luke 4:40, he laid his hands upon some friends suffering from diseases and cured them. Parents mourning for their child (Luke 8:49–56 OEB) were astonished after he took the hand of the dead girl and told her to “rise.” He raised a widow’s son in the town of Nain (Luke7:11–17 OEB) who was being carried out in a coffin. He touched the coffin and told the man to get up. The man sat up, started talking, and then was returned to his family.

 The hands were instruments the Lord used to restore health, sight, hearing and life. His hands were sacred healing tools. We are made in his image, and our right hands are reflections of his sacred name Yeshua. By invoking his name and stretching out our hands, we open ourselves up to infinite healing possibilities. John 14:12 reminds us, “In truth I tell you, the person who believes in me will themselves do the work that I am doing; and they will do greater work still, because I am going to the Father” (OEB). In the mustard seed parable (Matthew 17:20), we are assured that a tiny bit of faith can move mountains because “nothing would be impossible to you” (OEB).

 I love the graphic designs of Karen Jacks, and I reference her work in Mirror of the Soul. The link to the image, which so inspired me, is provided above (http://www.karenjacks.com/karen_jacks/Greeting_cards.html). If one views the hand on her card, it greatly resembles a palm branch. Biblically speaking, palm branches were symbols of triumph and victory. Our hands are instruments of tremendous power, and that power comes from God. As we scrub our hands now to rid them of disease, we are washing away impurities and activating the power of the hands as we receive the light of Christ. The palms of our hands mirror the palm branches, which are profound symbols of the victory of the Lamb of God. As we remember the Last Supper of Jesus, when he turns the bread and wine into His sacred body and blood on Thursday, his agony in the garden and humiliating, horrific crucifixion on Friday, we must also remember the empty tomb – His victory over death – on Easter Sunday. Hosanna in the Highest. Jerusalem is (still) Walking in This World, and our brokenness is healed. I wish you a blessed Holy Week, and many moments to reflect and renew. Happy Easter!