Find the full text of the homily here.
A Poem by St. Symeon the New Theologian
We awaken in Christ’s body,
As Christ awakens our bodies
There I look down and my poor hand is Christ,
He enters my foot and is infinitely me.
I move my hand and wonderfully
My hand becomes Christ,
Becomes all of Him.
I move my foot and at once
He appears in a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous to you?
Then open your heart to Him.
And let yourself receive the one
Who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love Him,
We wake up inside Christ’s body
Where all our body all over,
Every most hidden part of it,
Is realized in joy as Him,
And He makes us utterly real.
And everything that is hurt, everything
That seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful,
Maimed, ugly, irreparably damaged
Is in Him transformed.
And in Him, recognized as whole, as lovely,
And radiant in His light,
We awaken as the beloved
In every last part of our body.
Questions for Further Reflection
- In what ways can we embody the message of the Incarnation in our daily lives, particularly in how we treat our own bodies and the bodies of others?
- How does the poem by St. Symeon the New Theologian resonate with your own experience of being in your body? What feelings or insights arise as you consider the interconnectedness of Christ and our physical selves?
Thoughts on Faith 