Oh! The Pain

The other day, as I was contemplating Christ's passion and death,  I was moved to wonder, 'how many of those wounds that tortured His precious body were caused by my sins?'

Instantaneously a number popped into my head.   I will not share what the number was but I will admit that it surprised me.

Over the next several days, with that number floating around in my head, I tried to see if perhaps I had made it up myself.  Nope, that was the firm number the Lord kept giving me.

Last Saturday at confession, my penance was to stand before the image of the eleventh station.  The 11th station is Jesus being nailed to the cross.  The priest told me to put myself in the scene and choose which person represented me.

As much as I wanted it to be the pure and sinless Mother Mary, it wasn't happening!!

As I looked at the other people in the scene I saw a soldier with his hand in the basket of nails pulling out the next one to be used.  I saw the soldier in charge diligently watching his charges.  There was one soldier with a hammer ready to strike and the last person was a woman standing with the Blessed Mother.

With tears streaming down my face, I put myself in that scene, and I thought about that number.  Wow!

Christ died for our sins, before we were even alive to commit them.  As for my number, He knew that before He walked the road.

It brings new understanding and thanksgiving for the verse:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) NIV