The Five Wounds of Jesus and Personal Transformation

By Joseph A. Grassi For more than two millennia, the five wounds of Christ cruci¬fied have elicited a profound response on the part of artists and musicians and saints the world over. As an expression of the depth of God’s love for each and every human being, they have inspired heroic deeds on the part of otherwise very ordinary persons. No one can meditate on the unspeakable suffering those five wounds represent without being emotionally moved and in some way trans¬formed for the better. Inflicted out of misguided hatred for Goodness personified, they have become resplendent instruments for healing, energy and forgiveness. From them flow living streams of love and compassion for all who reflect upon them with faith. The author seeks in this work to enable the reader to experience the divine significance of Jesus’ suffering and death as revealed in the four gospels and the letters of St. Paul. Additionally, he shows how Mary’s role fits into the picture and how the liturgy enables us t