THE HOLY WOUNDS OF CHRIST

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Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet--I can count all my bones. (Ps 22:16-17)"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. " (Isaiah 53:5)
Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.  The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing."  Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:24-28)

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The Sacred Wounds which Jesus received during His Passion are part of the price for our salvation: "By His wounds you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24).  Catholics have always loved and venerated these wounds, which Jesus still bears in His Risen Body, as an eternal sign of His redeeming Love.

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Oh! Sacred Feet, all gashed and torn,
   Bruised by the hammer's cruel blows,
Bathed in the life-blood dripping down
   From anguished Heart in bitter throes;
I press You to my lips in tears,
   With contrite sorrow, fervent sigh.
Dear precious Wounds, God's bleeding prayers,
   Ah! plead for me when death draws nigh.Oh, Mangled Hands, transfixed and wan,
   in suppliance raised to Heaven above,
Pierced by the nails that torture wrung,
   From breaking Heart of burning love;
I press You to my lips in tears,
   With contrite sorrow, fervent sigh.
Dear precious Wounds, God's bleeding prayers,
   Ah! plead for me when death draws nigh.
Oh! Sacred Refuge, tender Side,
   Rent by the lance with cruel thrust,
There, where His Heart is, let me hide,
   There, where His love is, let me trust.
I press Thee to my lips in tears,
   With contrite sorrow, fervent sigh.
Most Holy Wound, allay my fears,
   Recieve my soul when death draws nigh.¹

Devotion in Honor of the Five Holy Wounds
As I kneel before Thee on the Cross, most loving Savior of my soul, my conscience tells me it is I who have nailed Thee to that Cross with these hands of mine, as often as I have fallen into mortal sin, wearing Thee with my monstrous ingratitude.
My God, my chief and most perfect Good, worthy of all my love, seeing Thou hast ever loaded me with blessings, I cannot now undo my misdeeds, as I would most willingly, but I can and will loathe them, grieving greatly for having offended Thee Who art infinite Goodness.  And now, kneeling at Thy feet, I will try at least to compassionate Thee, to give Thee thanks, to ask of Thee pardon and contrition.  Wherefore, with heart and lips I say:
(To the Wound of the Left Foot)
Holy Wound of the Left Foot of my Jesus, I adore Thee!  I compassionate Thee, O my Jesus, for that most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer.  I thank Thee for the love whereby Thou was wearied in overtaking me on to way to ruin, and didst bleed amid the thorns and brambles of my sins.  I offer to the Eternal Father the pain and love of Thy most Sacred Humanity, in atonement for my sins, all of which I detest with sincere and bitter contrition.
(To the Wound of the Right Foot)
Holy Wound of the Right Foot of my Jesus, I adore Thee!  I compassionate Thee, O my Jesus, for that most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer.  I thank Thee for the love which pierced Thee with such torture and shedding of blood in order to punish my wanderings and the guilty pleasures I have granted to my passions.  I offer to the Eternal Father all the pain and love of Thy most Sacred Humanity, and I pray unto Him for grace to weep over my transgressions with burning tears, and to enable me to persevere in the good which I have begun, without ever swerving again from my obedience to the commandments of my God.
(To the Wound of the Left Hand)
Holy Wound of the Left Hand of my Jesus, I adore Thee!  I compassionate Thee, O my Jesus, for that most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer.  I thank Thee for having, in Thy love, spared me the scourges and eternal damnation which my sins have merited.  I offer to the Eternal Father the pain and love of Thy most Sacred Humanity, and I pray Him to teach me how to turn to good account my span of life, and bring forth in it worthy fruits of penance, and so disarm the angry justice of my God.
(To the Wound of the Right Hand)
Holy Wound of the Right Hand of my Jesus, I adore Thee!  I compassionate Thee, O my Jesus, for that most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer.  I thank Thee for Thy graces lavished on me with such love, in spite of all my miserable obstinacy.  I offer to the Eternal Father all the pain and love of Thy most Sacred Humanity, and I pray Him to change my heart and its affections, and make me do all my actions in accordance with the will of God.
(To the Wound in the Sacred Side)
Holy Wound in the Side of my Jesus, I adore Thee!  I compassionate Thee, O my Jesus, for the cruel insult Thou didst suffer.  I thank Thee, my Jesus, for the love which suffered Thy side and Heart to be pierced, that the last drops of Blood and water might issue forth, making my redemption to abound.  I offer to the Eternal Father this outrage, and the love of Thy most Sacred Humanity, that my soul may enter once for all into that most loving Heart, eager and ready to receive the greatest sinners, and from it may never more depart. ²

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The following prayers in honor of the Holy Wounds of Jesus come from private revelations to various saints and mystics.  They are not part of the infallible teachings of the Church (who is also the final judge of their validity).  The promises attached to them must not be viewed in a superstitious manner:  "If I just say this the right way I will surely get what I want!".  Rather, the promises reflect the generosity of God, and the prayers should inspire us to be more fervent in our love for the Holy Wounds of Christ, regardless of any possible rewards God might sovereignly choose to bestow on us.

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Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard asked Our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering, and He answered: "I had on My Shoulder while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grevious Wound which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men.  Honor this Wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou does ask through its virtue and merit.  And in regard to all those who shall venerate this wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins"
Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Christ:

Most loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross which so toreThy flesh and laid bareThy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body.  I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give The thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen.³(Imprimatur: +Thomas D. Beven, Bishop of Springfield.)

Saints Gertrude the Great and Mechtilde
Jesus revealed to St. Gertrude that if any one of the following short prayers is repeated five times in honor of the Five Holy Wounds of the Lord, while spiritually kissing the Wounds devoutly and adding some prayers or good works, and offering them through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, they will be as acceptable to God as the most arduous devotion:

Jesus, Savior of the World, have mercy on me.  You to Whom nothing is impossible, bestow mercy to the wretched.O Christ, Who by Your Cross, hast redeemed the world, hear us.
The Lord is my strength and my glory; He is my salvation.
Hail Jesus, my loving Spouse.  I salute You in the ineffable joys of Your Divinity; I embrace You with the affection of all creatures, and I kiss the Sacred Wound of Your love.⁴

One day, before the Feast of the Ascension, St. Gertrude repeated the following salutation five thousand, four hundred and sixty-six times:

Glory be to Thee, sweetest, most gentle, most benign, sovereign, transcendent, effulgent, and ever-peaceful Trinity, for the roseate wounds of Jesus Christ, my only Love!

After completing these salutations, Our Lord Jesus appeared to her, more beautiful than the angels, bearing golden flowers on each Wound.  With a serene countenance and tender charity, He said, "Behold in what glory I now appear to you.  I will appear in the same form to you at the hour of your death, and will cover all the stains of your sins, and adorn you with a glory like that with which you have adorned My Wounds by your salutations.  All of those also who salute my Wounds with the same devotion shall receive the like favor."
You can say the above salutation 5466 times by praying in five times a day for three years.  You may also add the following oblation which Jesus asked St. Mechtilde to pray after each division of five:

Let us pray.  O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, accept this prayer, with that surpassing love, with which Thou didst endure all the Wounds of Thy most Holy Body.  Have mercy on me, and on all sinners, and on all the Faithful, living and departed.  Grant them grace and mercy, remission of sins, and everlasting life.  Amen.⁵

Sister Mary Martha Chambon
Mary Martha Chambon (1841-1907) was a lay Sister of the Monastery of the Visitation Order in Chambery, France.  During her life, Jesus Himself is said to have revealed to her the following two invocations, giving her the double mission to adore and invoke the Sacred Wounds unceasingly and to revive this devotion in the hearts of creatures.  She died in the odor of sanctity on 21 March 1907, and the cause for her beatification was introduced in 1937.

Eternal Father I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls.My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Sacred Wounds.

Here are some statements Jesus is said to have made to Sr. Mary Martha about this devotion:

"Come to My Wounds with hearts burning with love, and make the aspirations with great fervor that you may obtain the graces and favors you desire.  Come to this wound in My Side; it is the Wound of Love from which issue flames of fire""You must pray that the knowledge of My Sacred Wounds may spread in the world".  (As He said these words, Sr. Mary Martha saw five luminous rays of glory issue from the Wounds of Christ, and envelop the globe.)
"My Holy Wounds sanctify souls and insure their spiritual advancement...Offer Me your actions united to My Sacred Wounds, and even the smallest will have an incomprehensible value"
Offer them often to Me for sinners because I thirst for souls. At each word of the invocation that you utter, I will let a drop of My Blood fall upon the soul of a sinner."
"When you offer My Holy Wounds for sinners, you must not forget to do so for the souls in Purgatory, as there are but few who think of their relief.  The Holy Wounds are the treasure of treasures for the souls in Purgatory."⁶
(Nihil obstat: John A. Schulien, Censor Librorum; Milwaukee, WI, 2 May 1956. Imprimatur: +Albertus G. Meyer, Archbishop of Milwaukee, 1 May 1956.)

Chaplet of the Holy Wounds
To be said on the Crucifix and the first three beads of an ordinary Rosary:

O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful to us and to the whole world. Amen.Strong God, holy God, immortal God, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
Grace and mercy, O my Jesus, during present dangers; cover us with Your Precious Blood. Amen.
Eternal Father, grant us mercy through the Blood of Jesus Christ, Your only Son; grant us mercy, we beseech You.  Amen, Amen, Amen.

The following prayers, composed by Our Lord, are to be said using the Rosary beads.
On the large beads:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ. To heal the wounds of our souls.

On the small beads:

My Jesus, pardon and mercy, through the merits of Your Holy Wounds.

Promises of Our Lord for those who are Devoted to His Wounds

1. At each word that you pronounce of the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds, I allow a drop of My Blood to fall upon the soul of a sinner.
2. Each time that you offer to My Father the merits of My divine Wounds, you win an immense fortune.
3. Souls that will have contemplated and honored My crown of thorns on earth, will be My crown of glory in Heaven!
4. I will grant all that is asked of Me through the invocation of My Holy Wounds.  You will obtain everything, because it is through the merit of My Blood, which is of infinite price.  With My Wounds and My Divine Heart, everything can be obtained.
5. From My Wounds proceed fruits of sanctity.  As gold purified in the crucible becomes more beautiful, so you must put your soul and those of your companions into My sacred Wounds; there they will become perfected as gold in the furnace.  You can always purify yourself in My Wounds.
6. My Wounds will repair yours. My Wounds will cover all your faults.  Those who honor them will have a true knowledge of Jesus Christ.  In meditation on them, you will always find a new love. My wounds will cover all your sins.
7. Plunge your actions into My Wounds and they will be of value. All your actions, even the least, soaked in My Blood, will acquire by this alone an infinite merit and will please My Heart.
8. In offering My Wounds for the conversion of sinners, even though the sinners are not converted, you will have the same merit before God as if they were.
9. When you have some trouble, something to suffer, quickly place it in My Wounds, and the pain will be alleviated.
10. This aspiration must often be repeated near the sick: "My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Your Holy Wounds!"  This prayer will solace soul and body.
11. A sinner who will say the following prayer will obtain conversion: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ to heal those of our souls."
12. There will be no death for the soul that expires in My Holy Wounds; they give true life.
13. This chaplet is a counterpoise to My justice; it restrains My vengeance.
14. Those who pray with humility and who meditate on My Passion, will one day participate in the glory of My divine Wounds.
15. The more you will have contemplated My painful Wounds on this earth, the higher will be your contemplation of them glorious in Heaven.
16. The soul who during life has honored the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ and has offered them to the Eternal Father for the Souls in Purgatory, will be accompanied at the moment of death by the Holy Virgin and the angels; and Our Lord on the Cross, all brillant in glory, will receive her and crown her.
17. The invocations of the Holy Wounds will obtain an incessant victory for the Church.⁷

(Nihil obstat: Rev. Terry Tekippe, Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: + Most Rev. Francis B. Shulte, Archbishop of New Orleans, 29 December 1989.)
Prayer to Obtain a Favor

O great Passion!  O deep Wounds!  O Blood shed in abundance!  O meekness!  O God of meekness,  O cruel death, have mercy on me and grant my request if it be for my salvation.⁸

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Sources:

¹"Prayer to the Five Wounds," The Little Treasury of Leaflets, vol.IV (Dublin: Gill, 1914) 893-894.²From "Holy Hour of Reparation" booklet, pages 21-24.  Copyright © 1945 Soul Assurance Plan(TM), Chicago, IL.
³Pieta Prayer Book, (Hickory Corners, MI: MLOR Corporation, 1995) 45-46. © MLOR Corporation 1995.  ("Pictures or prayers may be reproduced for personal use, not for commercial purposes")
⁴Joan Carrol Cruz, Prayers and Heavenly Promises: Compiled from Approved Sources, (Rockford IL:TAN Books, 1990) 49.  Copyright © by Joan Carrol Cruz.
⁵The Precious Blood and Mother A Compilation of Prayers from Approved Sources by the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood, Edmonton, Canada. (Manchester, NH: Monastery of the Precious Blood) 107-108.
⁶"Invocations in honor of the Holy Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ"; tract by the Marist Missionary Sisters League of Prayer.
⁷Joan Carrol Cruz, Prayers and Heavenly Promises, opt. cit. 50-52.
⁸"Powerful Prayer to Obtain a Favor" tract, printed by Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

(Image of our Lord Crucified from Jesus Christ: Images, Art and Photographs.)


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