No hands, no feet on earth but yours

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No hands, no feet on earth but yours; Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Topic Started: Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 21:33 (73 Views)
KatyA	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 21:33 Post #1
Administrator Posts: 5,408 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: September 26, 2006	Quote: Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. I have often heard this "poem" of St Teresa of Avila, or at least part of it, quoted, and I do appreciate its meaning, especially when read in full. Am I alone I wonder in sometimes thinking that to say "Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours" is just a little insulting to God who is all powerful and in fact can do whatever He wants without our help? KatyA



pete	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 22:00 Post #2
Posts: 695 Group: Members Member #76 Joined: April 2, 2007	I’ve never seen it before Katy. My first reaction on seeing it suggests, we are or should be imitators of Christ, and our bodies we should endeavour to replicate the Body of Christ for the good of others



John Sweeney	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 22:02 Post #3
Posts: 1,844 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: March 20, 2007	I think "insulting" is probably a bit strong Katy althopugh I appreciate the point you make. I think this prayer is one of those many things which inspire and which put across a good message but are maybe not best suited to strict analysis. Just enjoy it and take the instinctive message from it. John



Rose of York	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 22:33 Post #4
Administrator Posts: 14,540 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: September 25, 2006	KatyA Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 21:33 I have often heard this "poem" of St Teresa of Avila, or at least part of it, quoted, and I do appreciate its meaning, especially when read in full. Am I alone I wonder in sometimes thinking that to say "Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours" is just a little insulting to God who is all powerful and in fact can do whatever He wants without our help? KatyA Katy my initial reaction was "Christ does have a body. He rose from the dead and he ascended into Heaven." The last line "Christ has no body now on earth but yours." puts things in a different light, specifically with the words "now on earth". True, God can do whatever he wants without our help, but it is not usual for people to see Christ's hands, feet and eyes or feel his physical touch. We are the Body of Christ, we must act like the Body of Christ, however we feel about any individual, we must see Christ in that person. Just ramblings, not theology!.
	$Posted Image$ Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards


Joe Valente	Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 07:58 Post #5
Posts: 394 Group: Members Member #227 Joined: April 3, 2009	"I have often heard this "poem" of St Teresa of Avila, or at least part of it, quoted, and I do appreciate its meaning, especially when read in full. Am I alone I wonder in sometimes thinking that to say "Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours" is just a little insulting to God who is all powerful and in fact can do whatever He wants without our help?" Katy A, I see this in a different light to you. I think that it is extremely accurate, rather than insulting to God. Yes, God is all powerful and can do whatever He wants without our help, but He asks for our help, He asks us to carry His Word around the world, He asks us to feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, comfort the afflicted, tend the sick, assist the dying and many other things. God, in His power and might, could do all of these things Himself but instead He delegates, He asks us to do these things so that we may be Christlike in our lives, so that we may play our part in His family and be brothers and sisters in Christ. He gives us these opportunities to prove that we are worthy of His love. I think that this piece from St.Therese is a wonderful reminder of that, a wonderful description of how bodies, our lives should be used for the glory and honour of God. Edited by Joe Valente, Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 08:00.
	What doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul


KatyA	Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 09:36 Post #6
Administrator Posts: 5,408 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: September 26, 2006	Joe Valente Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 07:58 Katy A, I see this in a different light to you. I think that it is extremely accurate, rather than insulting to God. Yes, God is all powerful and can do whatever He wants without our help, but He asks for our help, He asks us to carry His Word around the world, He asks us to feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, comfort the afflicted, tend the sick, assist the dying and many other things. God, in His power and might, could do all of these things Himself but instead He delegates, He asks us to do these things so that we may be Christlike in our lives, so that we may play our part in His family and be brothers and sisters in Christ. He gives us these opportunities to prove that we are worthy of His love. I hesitated a very long time before I posted the above comments, precisely because I realise that is exactly what St Teresa is saying and I suspected that my dislike of that particular sayng of St Teresa would leave me in a minority of one My gripe - if you can call it that - is that the piece implies that God needs our help - not that He wants us to show our love for Him by willingly acting as He wishes. In fact, whenever I hear "He has no hands but yours" I want to shout that it isn't so! In His goodness and mercy He wants our cooperation, He doesn't need it. That piece is probably the only saying of St Teresa that I do not like. I much prefer: “Dear Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, it is no wonder You have so few!”



Rose of York	Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 09:48 Post #7
Administrator Posts: 14,540 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: September 25, 2006	KatyA Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 09:36 My gripe - if you can call it that - is that the piece implies that God needs our help - not that He wants us to show our love for Him by willingly acting as He wishes. In fact, whenever I hear "He has no hands but yours" I want to shout that it isn't so! In His goodness and mercy He wants our cooperation, He doesn't need it. Christ calls upon us to use our hands, feet and eyes, in his service. He is not powerless without our assistance.
	$Posted Image$ Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards


Mrs.Pogle	Wednesday, 8. July 2009, 12:20 Post #8
Happy Couple! Posts: 831 Group: Members Member #219 Joined: February 2, 2009	No, Christ isn't powerless by nature, but I think He often chooses to be, because He wants us to be His co-workers. It's funny reading this, because I actually said yesterday in regard to a situation I am in, that Christ has no hands and feet but mine! By that I mean no physical hands and feet...no -one else to do the work, get their hands dirty, put themselves out and sacrifice their free time. That thought, for me, turned a drudge into a joy! It's like prayer...I don't believe that God actually needs our prayers, but he wants them, because that's how He ensures we work together, in prayer and in service
	"Living Life on the Home Front!" My Blog: Life on the Home Front “It is most laudable in a married woman to be devout, but she must never forget that she is a housewife. And sometimes she must leave God at the altar to find Him in her housekeeping.” ~ St. Frances of Rome


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