The Praying Hands

THE PRAYING HANDS.
Image from christianrep.com via google.com

Do you know the story behind the Praying Hands?

Looking for an appropriate image for our latest entry on Prayer, I searched google with the words Praying Hands and when I saw the pictures, remembered the story about two friends who wanted to become great painters but who could not do it at the same time so one has to work while the other studies. Then I googled for that story and came up with two versions. So I decided to share both in order to show that great love and friendship could be truly expressed in this world.

The Praying Hands is a great testament to one's sacrifice for the sake of one's friend or brother, concretizing the Gospel of Holy Friendship, of offering one's life for the sake of another.  There are two [2] versions of the story behind the Praying Hands.

One is about the brothers Albrecht and Albert Durer. The other is about the friends Albrecht Durer and Franz Knigstein. Though the personalities involved in the stories differ, except of course for Albrecht Durer, the renowned medieval artist who sketched the Praying Hands, the main content are almost the same, except again for the ending.

In the first story, about the Durer brothers, who came from a poor family, it is believed that both of them dreamed of becoming painters, far from their father's work of being a goldsmith. However, since there were 18 siblings of their parents, they knew that their father wouldn't be able to support them both so they decided to send one while the other worked to pay for the expenses of becoming a painter. They tossed coin and Albrecht won so Albert had to work in the mines to earn enough to send his brother to art school. Albrecht successfully finished and after four years, returned to tell his brother that he, Albert, can now go to art school with him, Albrecht, providing for the expenses. But the many years of working in the mines have already deformed the hands and fingers of Albert which mean he could hardly handle a paint brush anymore. Albrecht was so saddened by what happened to his brother. He then drew his brothers hands, palms closed, as a thanksgiving for Albert's great sacrifice without which Albrecht couldn't have achieved what he aspired for.

In the second story, Albert and Franz were poor struggling artists who dreamed of becoming successful ones. They worked while studying art but their earnings would not suffice to support their expenses. Hence they came to realize that one has to stop going to art school and work in order to support the other and when he finishes, he would then support the other in order to finish too. They drew lots and Albrecht won. So Franz had to work while his friend studies art. Albrecht succeeded and became a famous artist. Now it's Franz's chance to go to art school. But the years of hard work made his friend's hands and fingers stiff and twisted and he could no longer go to art school. Albrecht became sad because he could no longer fulfill his promise but Franz was not bitter because his friend had become successful and it was because of his help. One night, while Franz was praying with his palms closed, Albrecht sketched his Praying Hands: a great testament to the love and sacrifice of a person for the sake of his friend.

Whichever story you have known or would believe, both tell us a great testimony of love and sacrifice, for a brother, for a friend. When Jesus our Lord was asked about who is one's neighbor, He told them about the story of the Good Samaritan. Probably, if we would ask the Lord now about who is our friend, He would mention one of the stories above. 

How about you, do you have a true friend like Albert or Franz, who in their special ways have manifested a friendship like that which our Lord Jesus have done for all of mankind?