Care for Ourselves, Others and all Creation
St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “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 on earth but yours. Taking Teresa’s words to heart, the people of St. Andrew’s seek to be the heart and hands of Jesus in the world.
Being the heart and hands of Jesus in the world means that we don’t live solely our own sakes, but for the sake of others, giving preferential treatment to those who are sick, vulnerable, poor, marginalized, oppressed, and victims of violence and hatred. We seek to do this in a way that doesn’t (implicitly or explicitly) demand that those we reach out to have to stay vulnerable, poor, marginalized, oppressed and victims so we can do our Christian duty. We do this so that they too can experience resurrection and the promise and possibility of abundant life in Christ, so that they too can be the heart and hands of Jesus in the world.
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