WOUNDS NOT HIDDEN

"We are not asked to ignore or hide our wounds. A church with wounds can understand the wounds of today's world and make them her own, suffering with them, accompanying them and seeking to heal them. A wounded church does not make herself the center of things, does not believe that she is perfect, but puts at the center the one who can heal those wounds, whose name is Jesus Christ." (Pope Francis)

"In Jesus, our wounds are risen," Pope Francis continued. "They inspire solidarity; they help us to tear down the walls that enclose us in elitism and they impel us to build bridges and to encounter all those yearning for that merciful love which Christ alone can give."

The Grunewald masterpiece is the ultimate picture of suffering.  Jesus' feet are misshapen, bowed from the weight of the body they have carried.  Jesus’ feet show not only the effect of torture and piercing, but also the withering effect of St. Anthony’s Fire, which disfigures the extremities in just such a manner.

David said ,“They pierced my hands and my feet"  (Psalm 22:16)   but we know from the gospels that the words describe Jesus  fixed to the cross by nails through his feet and hands. 

 From the Shroud of Turin we know that the Romans used thick nails with large heads for Crucifixion. The nails were approximately 1/3 inch thick, and about 9 inches long. They were thick enough to support the weight of a human body. 

The soldiers pierced the feet with the nails through the second inter-metatarsal spaces.  No bones were broken. ("They have numbered all my bones." ie. not one broken). Gravity naturally pulled the body downwards, so that a nail in the foot would not tear out. The dorsal artery of the foot would be severed, causing severe hemorrhage of blood. The whole body weight was suspended on the nail in the feet. This caused continuous agony for Jesus.

The dorsal image on the Shroud shows the Right foot more clearly than the Left. Both feet are turned inward. This means that the Left foot was on top of the Right, and only one nail was used to fasten both feet. When Jesus died, the body stiffened on the Cross. This position was preserved in Rigor Mortis after they took Jesus down and covered him with the Shroud.

                          Grunewald’s  "Crucifixion"-  Tauberbischofsheim Altarpiece

The wounds of  Jesus are  significant to our growth spiritually and are a part of His the Resurrection story. His wounds brought about healing from sin to all who would ever believe in Him.“

"But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.”Isaiah  53:5