Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., discusses the significance of Jesus' glorified wounds as a testament to his sacrifice and victory over sin. He explores recognition of Jesus through his wounds, the preservation of his scars, and the power of the gospel. The chapter also highlights the importance of devotion to the sacred heart in understanding God's immense love.
Jesus' glorified wounds serve as trophies of His victory, demonstrating His triumph over sin and death.
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as the great high priest and victim brought redemption and salvation to all who believe in Him.
Deep dives
The Significance of Jesus' Glorified Wounds
Jesus' glorified wounds are a powerful reminder of the victory He achieved through His suffering and death on the cross. These wounds serve as trophies of His power and glory, demonstrating His triumph over sin and death. The wounds in His hands, feet, and side are evidence that He is the same person who was crucified for our salvation, showing His disciples that He has risen from the dead. These wounds also confirm the faith of believers, as Thomas doubted until he saw and touched the wounds of Jesus. Jesus' glorified wounds have multiple purposes, including displaying His mercy and offering intercession for humanity. Additionally, these wounds serve as a reminder to those who rejected Jesus, exposing their just condemnation on the day of judgment.
The Import of Jesus as the Great High Priest and Victim
Jesus is regarded as the great high priest and victim in the New Covenant. Unlike other religious priests who offer sacrifices, Jesus offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of humanity's sins. His sacrifice on the cross was an act of obedience to God's will, demonstrating His love and mercy towards humanity. Through His sacrifice, the power of the gospel is revealed, empowering believers to proclaim and lift high the cross. As the great high priest, Jesus continues to intercede for believers before the Father, presenting His wounds as a reminder of His sacrificial love and mercy. The sacrifices and priesthood of the Old Covenant were insufficient, but Jesus' sacrifice as the great high priest and victim brought redemption and salvation to all who believe.
The Revelation and Importance of the Stigmata
The concept of stigmata refers to the marks resembling the crucifixion wounds of Jesus that some individuals have experienced. Stigmata has been witnessed in several saints, beginning with St. Paul and later St. Francis of Assisi and St. Padre Pio. These individuals bear the physical marks as a mystical conformity to Christ's sufferings and an expression of their deep communion with Him. While stigmata is a unique mystical experience, all Christians are called to pick up their own crosses and follow Jesus, participating in His redemptive suffering. The stigmata serves as a reminder of the cost of discipleship, the sharing in Christ's passion, and the ultimate victory of love over sin and death.
The Glorious Revelation of the Sacred Heart
The wound in Jesus' side, known as the piercing of the heart, is considered a representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This sacred heart reveals the profound depths of God's love for humanity. Devotion to the Sacred Heart allows believers to contemplate and experience the immense love that Jesus has for them. The sacred heart represents the overflowing love and mercy that Jesus pours out for all, inviting people to approach and find solace in His heart. It is through this sacred heart, marked by the wound in His side, that believers are able to discern God's immense love and the extent of His sacrifice for their salvation.
This lecture was given on March 18th, 2023, at "The Passion & the Sacred Wounds: An Intellectual Retreat" at the Dominican House of Studies.
For more information on upcoming events, please visit our website: thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events
Speaker Bio:
Originally from a farm in Kansas, Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., is a priest in the Dominican Province of St. Joseph who teaches on the pontifical faculty of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC where he is editor-in-chief of The Thomist. He has authored Christ in the Life and Teaching of Gregory of Nazianzus (Oxford University Press, 2013) and The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh (The Catholic University of America Press, 2023). He is editor or co-editor of several volumes, including The Oxford Handbook of Deification, The Cambridge Companion to Augustine's Sermons, Thomas Aquinas and the Greek Fathers, Thomas Aquinas and the Crisis of Christology, and Thomas Aquinas as Spiritual Teacher.
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