Contemplating the Wounds of Christ.

 

 Contemplating the Wounds of Christ.: 

     There is a place to take our deepest sorrows, our insurmountable difficulties, the shame that tracks our life like a hungry wolf, broken dreams, broken hearts and prayers that we find we are too exhausted and broken to utter. Here within the wounds of Christ, deep within His heart is a place where there is only grace, mercy and love. His wounds offer us refuge.

 Like a bird sheltered within the rock in a storm. He hides us.This is our place of refuge. Our shelter, our hope , our source of strength and restoration in a dry and weary land. This is our source. Run to the refuge of the healing wounds of Christ. Around us , daily the world calls us away. Any other place but this . Crucifixion is an ugly thing. We do not want to look.

We prefer our Christianity sterilized. Give us clean, organized, socially acceptable faith. It's easier to take on a Sunday morning. But when life has us face down on the ground, when all the doors have closed behind us, when we have no where else to turn, then for the first time we may turn and reach up to the spear pierced side of Christ, to the nail wounds in his hands, touch in wonder his pierced body and realize that He knows pain beyond what we could ever suffer and He did it first for us. 

We enter His wounds with our pain , we enter His wounds with our whole interior being and rest there, silent , and overwhelmed by the out pouring of His Love for us. He Loves Us. He Loves Us. There is Mercy, there is Grace, there is total knowledge of who we are and acceptance of our whole being. Here we rest within the wounds of Christ. While the storm rages outside beyond the walls of our refuge. Where the battle continues, where all worry and distress mount up and threaten to sweep us away, that is beyond the walls of this refuge.Here there is only the Peace of Christ. Here we bring our tears. Here we sit with our hands open in humble adoration of rest in the gentle spirit of Christ.

 We are children wrapped in the arms of our Father. We rest under the protection of his overshadowing wings, Here we are with Him. From this place of refuge, scripture comes more alive while we read it here in the wounds of Christ, our prayers, simple and heart felt are not so difficult to pray. We remember those that serve us in the faith. We bring them before God. Here we Listen. We listen to the storm pass. Our burdens slide from us and are left behind. Grace is infused into our souls. There is strength to carry on. Here within the wounds of Christ. Our refuge . 

There is a beautiful prayer to the wounds of Christ...called the 


Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen