The Five wounds of Jesus

The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed” (Questions on the Heptateuch, 2.73).

This quote of Saint Agustin shows us that the key to understand the Old Testament is person and life of Christ, and while we are getting close to the Holy Week, the readings are pointing to his passion and to the effects of his passion.

1. The river that is flowing from the door of the temple.

In the New Testament we hear that a side of Jesus was priced by a spear, but it did no say that is the right of left? But the Christian knows the Old Temple is a symbol of Christ, we read in Ezequiel that from the right side of the temple there a flowing stream that gives life to the desert. Is from his pierced side that we receive the salvation, the grace, the sacraments, the new life.

The Messiah is the temple and the door; from His pierced side flow the living waters, ever increasing, both in the individual believer and in the heart.

2. The pool of Bethesda.

After the picture of the healing side of Christ, the gospel brings to us the miracle at the Bethesda pool. It was a pool with five porticos, five ways to access to it, the function of that pool was to provide the purification, because the Jews before to enter the temple must be purify in a ritual bath, they descend seven steps.

In this pool there were a man sick for 38 eight years, almost the time that the Jews were wandering in the desert. This man represents the humankind, is unable to save by himself, it needs a savior, someone that bring the salvation.

The pool has five access or porticus, again those are according to Saint John Chrysostom, the five wounds of Jesus, by his wounds we were healed. Is 53, 5.

3. How costly was the salvation.

Let that these five wounds of Jesus bring your salvation, if are a soul that are dipped on sins, look at these five wounds and pierce your heart saying each time that I fall in this thins again I open again the wounds of Jesus.

If you are a soul that are assaulted for the doubts, look at his wounds that are telling your this are the proof that I you love you.

"Wounds that wound the hardest hearts and inflame the iciest souls with love." And what love arrows come out of those wounds to wound the hardest hearts! And what flames come out of the loving heart of Jesus to inflame the coldest hearts! And what chains come out of that wounded side to captivate the most rebellious hearts! Saint Alphonsus

Are a soul that are suffering, look at his wounds of Christ: the Lord Himself said to Saint

Thérèse, being pressed by a serious illness, appeared to her all wounded: "Look these wounds, your pains will never come here." So afterwards when she was afflicted by any illness she used to say: "O my Lord, when I think why You suffered in any way, and since you didn't deserve it for any of them, I don't know what to say about me or where I had my toughs when I didn't want to suffer, and where I am, when I complain."

So there no better way to increase the love of Jesus than look at his wounds, because: by his wounds we were healed. Is 53, 5