By our wounds, His wounds, we are healed
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By: Father Shay
When we suffer emotional or physical pain we awake to our human frailties and to the injustice in the world. Pain isolates and alienates us at a time when we desperately need healing through justice, faith, and the love and solidarity of others. Christians are called to be healers, supporters and friends who can quickly recognize the suffering of others and respond with love and care, comfort and affirmation.
When we see and hear that another is grieving, in pain from emotional hurt, or sickness we ought to be there at their side. We ought to see in their wounds and hurt the wounds of the risen Lord as he showed them to doubting Thomas.
To be unmoved, silent, unbelieving before the suffering of others means that we desperately need the Spirit to fill us with compassion and love, Perhaps we have been wounded ourselves and love is paralyzed within us, compassion is dead and we are in need of resurrection. But if we respond with concern, empathy, solidarity and love we are already one with the Risen Lord and filled with His spirit.
Here at the PREDA’s children’s Home dozens of abused and hurt children come for refuge, protection and healing. They cry out their heart again and again in the soundproofed therapy room.
Few visiting psychologists can endure to stay for more than five minuets in that room with pain filled children screaming, shouting, crying, and pouring out their grievances while punching and beating the padded walls and floor in a frenzy of anger. They have been beaten and betrayed by their own parents, relatives, neighbors’ religion and community.
They have been neglected physically and sexually, put down, thrown out, rejected and cursed for being a burden and a trouble for having been born. Nothing could be more hurtful other than the physical scourging of Jesus yet this emotional and physical abuse must feel much the same to a little child hurt and abandoned.
Their physical and emotional wounds are caused by the sins of others and they are filled with anger hatred and desire revenge. No one would listen, believe and save them when they were being neglected, raped, and abused. In the Philippine resort town of Puerto Galera on Mindoro Island we discovered 25 children and perhaps many more as young as eight-years-old continuously sexually abused by foreign sex tourists. The government, busy protecting their image and the sex industry does little to rescue them. They need protective custody therapy and their abusers must be brought to justice.
Is it any wonder that there is so much hatred anger and violence-filling people the world today when they see such evil deeds against children covered up and unpunished. Violence, neglect and injustice breeds violence and hate filled intolerance. Silence in the face of evil is party to it. We must never be quiet and ought resist those who try to censor and silence us.
The room of tears is where we can see the damage and effects of such heinous crimes. It is the right of every victim to speak out their suffering as best he or she can and our duty to enable and empower them to do so. That is why their pain has to be felt, freely expressed and poured out. Then they can unload the hatred and anger. Their burdens are lifted and there is help, comfort, support affirmation and healing. The anger is spent their hatred is gone and eventually the pain subsides and they are at peace with themselves and the world.
They can then find the strength to get justice and to help others. It is then that forgiveness is possible and finally healing takes place and the child can be whole again. By following the example of Christ and never giving into depression and despair we can overcome the hardships and pain inflicted on us by others. Yes the scripture tells the truth - by His wounds we are healed.
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