Transformed Wounds and Service

In my experience of forgiving those who have hurt me, I have learned that wounds sometimes stay with me, but in a transformed way, just like Jesus’ healed wounds. But the scares are no longer simply reminders of a past pain. Transformed and healed wounds can become a kind of opening into compassionate relationship with others, if we let them. In an essay on service, Rachel Remen says, “When we serve, we don’t serve with our strength; we serve with ourselves, and we draw from all of our experiences. Our limitations serve; our wounds serve; even our darkness can serve. My pain is the source of my compassion; my woundedness is the key to my empathy.” Jesus’ wounds do more than give us faith in the Resurrection. We can model Jesus and his willingness to allow his wounds to be touched in a way that helps us develop our relationships with others and bring healing to them as well.

Excerpted from The Ignatian Guide to Forgiveness by Marina Berzins McCoy (pp. 90-91)