The Place of the Wound is the Place of the Gift Part 3

The historical Jesus Who became The Risen Christ, experienced the power of the Resurrection, but He still carried the wounds of His crucifixion, the marks of His crucifixion in His risen body.  How well did He use these wounds to bring the denying Thomas to faith.  In this He made all sacred wounded-ness a place of healing, and the deepening of faith.  In order that our wounds become sacred wounds they must be brought to prayer.  In prayer, we are brought to the great connection between our suffering and crucifixion and The Crucifixion with what all of the suffering that entailed.  I repeat Thomas Merton's prayer as a moment to moment bromide, a moment to moment survival tool: "O god, You have heard the cry of my heart, because it was You God Who cried out within me."  All pain is Christ's pain, we never suffer alone although in our suffering we really are plunged into the depths of loneliness.  For The Crucified One the loneliness of the tomb was a His resting place, as He awaited Resurrection.  As it was for Our Brother so it is for us His sisters and brothers. We believe it was the same Power Who Brought about the Resurrection is the same power awaiting our "Yes" so resurrection and new life can be ours.  Emphasis on can.  Out of love we are also empowered to say "NO."  Another one of life's choices.