Christ's wounds

[Anastasia Theodoridis]

Does anybody know why the risen Christ still had His wounds? I thought glorified bodies were supposed to be perfect. Do you suppose He STILL has those nail holes and the wound in the side?

I have a hunch those wounds ARE part of His bodily perfection, in a spiritual sense; they are His badges of perfection, so to speak, the emblems of His total obedience and love. They are beautiful now, seen through the eyes of love, at least. Certainly no longer gory and gruesome.

Anyway, this is not an idle question. My husband is about to acquire some permanent and large scars on his chest and thigh (open heart surgery Monday morning) and he's all bothered by the idea of such a change to his body. Apparently it affects his image of who he is. And it troubles him to think he may also carry these wounds into the next life, as Christ apparently has done.

?????????

Thank you!

Anastasia

[Warren Bensinger]

Anastasia:

Please comfort your husband with these words from me. I just went through by pass surgery at the end of January with 98% blockage at the "Y" artuary. It was the best experiance because now I can get oxygen to my body. He will be in my prayers for the coming weeks. I'm sure he will have a good helper in you to get him through it to.

May God bless his Dr's. and crew.
warren

[Olga]

Perhaps the continued presence of the wounds in Christ's body after the Resurrection could be to confirm to His disciples (and to the world) that He had risen from the dead in body as well as spirit, and confirming His two natures (human and divine); best illustrated in the Apostle Thomas story. I would be happy to be corrected in this if it's not right.

Regarding your husband's impending heart surgery, my own father had such surgery some years ago. I can assure you that as long as he follows his doctor's instructions, the scars will be minimal after a couple of years. What is more important is that he will be given a new chance in life through the surgery. My father would often quip that the date he had his heart bypass was his "new birthday". As far as your husband carrying the scars into the next life, my understanding is that infirmity and physical imperfection as it applied in our earthly life ceases to exist in the spiritual life. For this reason saints are properly depicted in iconography in this idealised, spiritual state. No wounds, no hunched backs, no glasses (for those saints of recent vintage like St John of San Francisco).

I hope this helps. May all go well with your husband's surgery.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Christ,"then turned toward Thomas and said, 'Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. Then Thomas intentionally scrutinised the Lord's side more attentively, and receiving faith through the examination, he cried, 'My Lord and my God!' He said, 'Lord' in witnessing to the bodily form of Christ and 'God' in witnessing to His Divinity." From the Synaxarion for Antipascha or Thomas Sunday

[Alex Haig]

My prayers are with you and your family, Anastasia, at this time.

As regards Christ's resurected body, the Resurection did not undo His death, because there was no need to undo it. Christ's death destroyed the division between Man and God, represented when the "curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matt 27:51). It is a mistake to believe that His death was a defeat: it was a victory, the Victory of the Cross. This is why the world rejected Him: His teachings did not go along the lines of worldly power; but rather He called us to Himself, telling us that we must take up our own cross and follow Him (see Mark 10:21) transforming us into "a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people" (1 Peter 2:9)

With love in the Risen Christ

Alex