Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
The Passion of Christ is more than simply the expiration of Christ. It involves not simply the stopping of Jesus’ heart, but the breaking of it. For His own unfathomable reasons, our Lord willed that He suffer, not simply die in His bed at a ripe old age. We shall never be able to really comprehend this: we can only receive it. In some mysterious way, His stripes heal us. Today, thank Jesus for suffering for us and sharing fully in our human lot.
Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.
