Reading the letters of St. Paul of the Cross you notice how often he wishes the one to whom he’s writing to be placed in the “wounds of Christ” or the “holy Side of Jesus” or his “Sacred Heart.”. “I am in a hurry and leave you in the holy Side of Jesus, where I ask rich blessings for you.”
Expressions like these seem to be pious phrases until we read the story of Thomas from John’s gospel. Jesus shows the doubting disciple the wounds in his hands and side, and Thomas believes.
Belief is not something we arrive at by our own powers of reason or will. Faith is a gift that God gives through Jesus Christ.
One morning I woke up and felt like all faith had left–like I had no sense that God was even real. As I plodded in misery to the shower I prayed for help. Wait a minute–I’m praying! It was then that I realized that faith is a gift I had been given and my belief was not something I had worked to put into place in my mind. My mind had let me down, but faith in God was still there. Indeed God was still there!
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Today…
all of Poland is in morning
as in the loss of a son or daughter
yes it is near the anniversary
of the death of John Paul II
near the anniversary
of the death of 20,000 soldiers
in the Katyn Woods
yes, all that is true…
This grief though is new
and raw
as raw as the wounds in the
Body of Christ on Good Friday…
All over Poland
today,
we could see the face of Thomas
reaching for the side of Christ
a hand reaching out to receive
faith
that leads to fearless love
Amen
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