Exiit qui seminar - The Wounds of Christ

Over the months of the pandemic, my mom and dad discovered Bishop Robert Barron from Word on Fire (my parents, not so secretly, like his homilies more than mine). They have watched his Masses online and continue to listen to his Sunday Sermons, which are really quite good. So as a part of my day off ritual, my parents and I will sit and watch Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermons on YouTube (you can very easily subscribe to the Word of Fire channel there). Even though it was from last Sunday (Divine Mercy), Bishop Barron spoke of several important aspects that are prominent in this week's Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Easter. In particular, Bishop Barron talks about the wounds of Christ. It is amazing to realize that Jesus' glorified body - the one that shows victory over sin and death is a wounded one. The point of this reality of our faith is that the Resurrection shouldn't and can't blot out Good Friday. We can't truly have one without the other. Easter Sunday makes no sense without Good Friday and Good Friday has no meaning whatsoever without Easter Sunday. It is a reminder that our sin - everything that Christ brings to the cross, is still borne by our Lord and Savior. These wounds show the depths of His love for us and why the Paschal Mystery (His Passion, Death and Resurrection) has meaning for our lives. It was because of our sins that such a drastic sacrifice of love was necessary and that our Lord and our God would do it over and over again for our sake. Bishop Barron also talks about that in every encounter with the Resurrected Christ, the Lord constantly gives us His peace. Instead of berating us and the disciples for abandoning Him in His greatest hour, Jesus tells us that even o ur greatest sin, our placing Christ Himself on the cross to suffer and die, can be forgiven. We are thankfully reminded that there is no sin that we can imagine or commit that is greater than God's love. SO, just like my furry buddy reminded us in his column this week, we are called to be witnesses of the wounds of Christ that are symbols of His great love and that He willingly gives us His forgiveness and His peace. May we continue to celebrate this Easter season with the joy of the Resurrection in our hearts! Sincerely Yours in Christ, Fr. Rob Sinatra