My favourite place of pilgrimage is Clonmacnoise ,to see The Cross of the Scriptures,which is one of Irelands greatest treasures.One panel on The Cross always ‘’grabs’’my attention.It is The Right Hand of God,hidden under the arm of The Cross.I wonder what the monk sculptor was thinking ,as he chizelled this Michaelanglo artpiece out of rock.His heart and hand were certainly touched by God’s love stories in the Bible,of Gods Providence ,hiding in all creation,and in particular in the Life , Face and Hand ,of Jesus Christ.Jesus touches the untouchable with His Hand,breaking through all rules and regulations ,with His Compassionate Heart.Laws are for love, ‘’Of course I want to cure you’’.We sing ‘’He’s got the whole world in His Hands’’.With extraordinary generosity, God puts the whole world in our hands too,and tells us that we are His Hands of blessing to the world in billions of ways,from womb to tomb.Wine is gift,and also work of human hands .Brian Keenan after long days in a dark dungeon of prison showed his hands on TV.These hands ,he said can hurt,and be fists,but they can also ,comfort,console,care,create,give life,and joy.We show The heart of God’s Love with the tips of our fingers.

Liam Hickey, St.Ciarans, Hartstown, Dublin 15.