When the risen Jesus appeared to his followers he showed them his wounds. Indeed Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, needed to see the wounds of Jesus before he would believe that Jesus had risen from the dead (see John 20: 24-29). It is significant that in his resurrected body the wounds that were inflicted on Jesus remained.
We are all wounded. This is a fact. It is the human condition. We were born into a wounded world and into a wounded family. We could call this inherited sin which is another name for original sin. We also pick up our own personal wounds, especially in childhood. What we do with our wounds is the thing that makes the difference. If we allow our wounds to become sacred wounds then our lives can become sacred stories.
For our wounds to become sacred wounds we first of all need to accept that we are wounded. This may not be easy. We do not like to admit that we are weak and vulnerable. We prefer to protect ourselves behind a coat of armour. To accept our wounds is not to put ourselves down. It is important that we do not hate ourselves because of our wounds. It is also important that we do not blame others for our wounds. Many people spend much of their lives blaming other people for the wounds they carry. This is a cul-de-sac. The people who wounded us were wounded too.
Once we accept our wounds we then need to acknowledge them in the company of others. This is about bringing them into the light. To share our wounds with people we can trust is liberating. It also brings healing. Remember the words of Jesus, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Finally, we need to surrender our wounds to God. If we hand our wounds over to God we begin to experience God in a new and personal way. We discover the power of God working in us. We also discover that God loves us without conditions. This is something those who follow the twelve steps in the Alcoholic Anonymous Programme realise. In the third step they are invited to surrender their addiction to their higher power. Without this surrender they know they will fail. This too was the experience of the great St Paul who discovered that his wounds made him stronger (see 2Cor 12:7-10). God may not take away our wounds, but God will certainly help us to find a way of living with them. God may leave our wounds to help us stay dependent on him and to remind us that he is the one who satisfies the deeper longings in our hearts.