Handiwork: Proclaiming the Gospel With Our Hands

In today's Daily Saint e-mail from AmericanCatholic.org, we see the stunning example of St. Peter Claver. Born in Spain, he left the Old World for the New and became situated in current-day Columbia in the midst of the exploding slave trade. Peter reached out to these African people, held in bondage; when a slave-trading ship arrived at port, he would enter the hold into a grossly inhumane setting where he immediately began serving the Africans. Food and medicine was brought to them even as they were herded into public holding yards. Peter cried out against the injustice. When he traveled on missions, it is said that wherever he could, he bunked in the slaves' quarters rather than in the rich homes of the plantation owners.

This quote from St. Peter Claver struck me as another way of hearing what, at times, is a muted message:

"We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."

May we all be inspired and motivated by the lives of those who walked before us. Peace to you this day.

Yesterday's weight: 204 | Yesterday's workout: None