You are the Hands of Christ

By Lakmé Kodros

We tend to speak of service opportunities specifically in terms of structured community service to those impacted by poverty, illness or isolation. This service can sometimes feel removed from regular daily life, an additional task on an already packed calendar. However, we might also find opportunities to serve others during our regular daily routines.

Try, if you will, to entertain the notion that service can also happen within our families, friendships and workplaces, at the grocery store, or any place where we spend time. Do you mentor a young professional in your office? That’s service! Have you given a word of encouragement to a friend going through a life crisis or a difficult situation? Have you helped a neighbor who needs groceries, their lawn cut, a meal or a listening ear? Maybe you volunteered to take on a project that your coworkers dread or helped a fellow student understand a difficult Algebra problem. This is all service!

These acts reflect a mindset rooted in kindness and support to those around us, awareness of others’ needs, big and small, and the inclination to respond with empathy. Service lives where the heart is open, the spirit is hopeful, and the mind propels to action.

So, whether you serve your family, your neighbors, your parish, your community, your country, or somewhere across the globe, you are the hands of Christ, doing His works of service, healing and compassion. His hands encourage us to trust in His power and with the same compassion He shows to each of us!