The Sacred Wounds are visible in our Lord's Glorified Body
See My Hands and Feet that it is I Myself. - Luke 24
Let us count the Precious Wounds, as we see them in the glorified Body of Jesus.
O Loving Saviour, give us grace to think often upon the signification of Thy Wounds, and consider why Thou dost still bear them on Thy Divine Person in Heaven.
The Sacred Wounds speak of combat. The Life of the God-Man upon earth was truly a warfare - He came into this world to fight against His enemies. War was declared by the Prince of Peace against sin and death and hell, for they had to be conquered ere His reign of peace could be established. The deadliest combat was reserved for Calvary: never was there such a battle-field, never apparently, more unequal forces, and the Victor triumphed by means of a seeming defeat! A week has now passed away since that day of mortal strife, when the Person of our King was wounded, and through His Death He destroyed him who had the empire of death. Today as we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour, in answer to the inquiry: Who is this Beautiful One in His Robe, walking in the greatness of His Strength? Why is His apparel red? He, our Saviour makes answer: I have trampled on My enemies in My indignation, their blood is sprinkled upon My garments. The Year of My Redemption is come
If we look upon the sacred Wounds, as Jesus hangs upon the Cross, we are filled with grief and compassion; grief at the remembrance of what we have ourselves done to wound Him - compassion on account of His acute suffering. We are thus drawn to desire to share in His conflict, to bear, according to His Will, the marks of the Lord Jesus, so that we may resemble Him. If we gaze upon the Adorable Person of the Son of God after His Resurrection we perceive how bright, how beautiful are those very scars. Each has become a centre of radiant light. Blood no longer flows from them, for It has washed us from our sins, and saved mankind. But rays of grace stream forth to enlighten, to console, to strengthen,—to animate our souls with hope, and to perfect our confidence. Oh, with what joy shall we one day recognise our Lord, seeing the Wounds which have so often proved to be our safest refuge, as they have been also the dearest object of our veneration, we shall exclaim : This is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us.
So lately have I witnessed the cruelty with which Your Hands and Feet and Side were pierced, for love of me, my Saviour. Now that You have risen, I behold the glorious scars of Your Five Wounds enhancing the wondrous beauty of Your Person; and I beseech You, by their most precious merits, that I too may win the victory, through suffering, over the enemies of my salvation; and rise gloriously on that Resurrection Day, when this mortal must put on immortality.
See My Hands and Feet: And He shewed them His Side.
- text from Growth in the Knowledge of Our Lord by Father de Brant, volume 2, 1882; it has the imprimatur of Cardinal Henry Edward Manning, Archbishop of Westminster, England