The
gospel lesson for the Sunday after Easter (tomorrow) is John 20:19-31 which
tells of Jesus' appearance to Thomas after the resurrection. For the seventh
day of the Octave of Easter, here is a bit of a preview from William Temple's Readings in St. John’s Gospel:
The wounds of Christ are his credentials to
the suffering race of men. Shortly after the Great War [WW I], when its
memories and its pains were fresh in mind, a volume was published under the
title Jesus of the Scars, and Other Poems by Edward Shilito. The poem from
which the title was taken stands first in the book and is headed by the text,
‘He showed them His hands and His side’:
If we have never
sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn
through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of
thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O
Jesus of the Scars.
The heavens frighten
us; they are two calm;
In all the universe
we have no place.
Our wounds are
hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy
Scars, we claim Thy grace.
If when the doors are
shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those
hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what
wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we
know the countersign
The other gods were
strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou
didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds
only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has
wounds, but Thou alone.
Only a God in whose perfect Being pain has
its place can win and hold our worship.
Next:
Eight Days a Week
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