Living in and Through Christ’s Wounds

Continuing my interview with Dawn Eden about her book, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, she discusses the wounds of Christ.

To borrow a question you raise: “How can Jesus’ wounds draw me closer to him?” Because this seems like a question for all Christians, for anyone searching, perhaps? I do believe Jesus’ wounds are deeply meaningful for anyone who is searching for the love of God.

Jesus entered willingly into his Passion. He emptied himself, descending to meet us where we were — into the depths of sin — so that we might rise with him to eternal life. And he was wounded for us — bearing wounds that are now glorified.

There is a long tradition in Christian art of showing light streaming from the wounds of the risen Christ. Saints who have had visions of Jesus likewise report seeing such light. Think of the Divine Mercy image, based a vision given to St. Faustina, in which brilliant red and white rays shining forth from Jesus’ heart represent the sanctifying grace Christ won for us on the Cross. For those of us whose hearts are wounded by any kind of evil, these images give hope that, if we unite our hearts to the Heart of Christ, our wounds can become the cracks that his healing light gets in.

More from our conversation here.