The mystics maintain that there are two primary paths of transformation in this life. The first is the path of prayer and love and the second is the path of suffering. Most people want the first path but get the second path. Unfortunately, most of us are not well equipped to respond to the path of suffering and struggle to find the first path of prayer and love.
The reality of life is that we travel both paths in the course of lives and we need to be prepared for both paths. Christ gives us a way to live both of these paths and he witnessed both of them in his life, death and resurrection. All of his life, he walked the path of love and prayer and gave incredible testimony to this power in our world. Over and over again, Jesus offered healing and love to those most suffering, most outcast, most on the margins of society. He showed that these paths are intertwined as we can minister to those who suffer and thus bring the paths together. Finally, when it came to his last three days of life, he gave powerful witness to the path of suffering and how to respond to it. He did not give back in kind what he received but instead absorbed the suffering and gave back love.
He takes in all the bitterness; he holds it; he transforms it and gives back graciousness. He takes in all the cursing; he holds it; transforms it and gives back blessing. He takes in chaos; holds it; absorbs it; and gives back order. He takes in the jealousy; holds it; absorbs it; and gives back admiration and kindness. He takes in fear; holds it; transforms it and gives back freedom and gentleness. He takes in murder and war; holds it; transforms it; gives back peace. He takes in death; holds it; transforms it; gives back life.
We are called to do likewise in our own lives and take in suffering, hold it, absorb it and transform it giving back love. Ironically, the only way I know how to do this well is to become a person of prayer and love. It is through the path of prayer and love that the path of suffering makes any sense. This can be confounding but it is for me the truth of a disciple’s life. The way of the cross is the way of Christ.
Yet, today’s gospel brings one more troubling aspect of Jesus’ life—that Jesus still bears the wounds of his suffering in his resurrected self. Why is his resurrected body not without wounds? Surely, we will not still bear the marks of our wounds when we rise from the dead.
Yet we have to ask, how else would the disciples have recognized him? His crucified body with its wounds was the real Jesus and in today’s gospel we hear how Thomas wanted to put his fingers in the wounds as proof it was him.
Jesus then reminds us that while we will still have wounds from our suffering like he did with his crucifixion, but we will be transformed beyond our wounds just like him. God heals us of our wounds through prayer and love but we cannot expect our wounds to disappear. They are transformed now.
When we experience wounds and hurts in our lives, we often want to be rescued and completely healed from all traces of those wounds. We do not want to see them ever again. Yet that is not what God offers. He does not promise to rescue us but to redeem us. That means that the only way to walk the path of suffering is to commit to the path of prayer and love.