SATURDAY.
Why Christ retained the Wounds in His Glorified Body.
I. Christ chose to retain the marks of His wounds in His glorified body for various reasons, i. He wished to strengthen His disciples and His followers in the belief of His resurrection, by showing them that it was the same body which was nailed to the cross that had risen again. 2. He wished to increase our confidence, by showing us the marks of His triumph over the world, encouraging us to "have confidence," as He says, "I have overcome the world." (John xvi. 33.) 3. He carried these wounds as a perpetual memorial of His love towards us, and in order to incite us to return love for love, by suffering for Him. Hence, St. Paul, who fully appreciated His motive, says of himself, " I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body." (Gal. vi. 17.)
II. He retains these wounds to convince us that He will take special care of us whilst He is in heaven. " Can a woman forget her infant? Yet will not I forget thee; behold, I have graven thee in My hands." (Is. xlix. 15.) He continually presents these wounds to His Father to plead in our behalf. Hence we may address the Father in the words of David, " Behold, O God, our protector! and look upon the face of Thy Christ." (Ps. lxxxiii. 10.)
III. His wounds are to the Church what the fountains that watered it were to Paradise. They are the sources of every grace to the faithful. Hence Isaias says, " Ye shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains." (Is. xii. 3.) These divine wounds afford a refuge for the afflicted and distressed soul in all the accidents and crosses which attend us in this vale of tears. Whenever
