Musical Rosary #7–The Scourging at the Pillar

Last updated on: June 23, 2014 at 4:11 pm by Eve Tushnet

Musical Rosary #7–The Scourging at the Pillar 2014-06-23T16:11:44-04:00 Eve Tushnet

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

But he was pierced for our sins,

crushed for our iniquity.

He bore the punishment that makes us whole,

by his wounds we were healed.

Departing from my previous practice of quoting the Gospels to give you this bit from Isaiah, because it gets at the reason this mystery is so important to me. When I was growing up my parents subscribed to Tikkun, a progressive Jewish magazine with the slogan, “To heal, repair, and transform the world. All the rest is commentary.” That’s cute and I get it, it’s something Christians often put in terms like, “We are the body of Christ, so we must be His hands in the world,” it’s true and important when its meaning is kept very limited. But it’s even more important to remember that healing–whether of “the world” or of our own selves–isn’t something we can do. Thinking of it as our task rather than God’s can lead to unbearable pressure and even despair. It’s the whole “I can’t go to Confession until I’ve gotten myself straightened out a little” thing. (And, in the political realm, you get utopianism and its attendant temptations of power and control. The law just wants to heal you!)

When I was trying to quit drinking my spiritual director asked me to picture myself being carried by Christ. As with all of his best advice, I (silently) made fun of this at first. Yay, visualization techniques, I can add this to the list of humiliating consequences of my drinking problem…. But over time I found that this image of being carried by Jesus really helped me. It let me see that I wasn’t expected to succeed by my own strength, which was a relief, since I am notably a disaster and lack resilience. I would not be healed by my own efforts, or by my own suffering, but by Christ’s. All I had to do was surrender.

That isn’t nothing–passion is an action, letting go is a thing you can do or refuse to do, and anyway a lot of this language is really just metaphors which work for me but may be less helpful to you. But letting myself be carried turned out to be something I could do.

This mystery is one I often pray for help with the areas in my life where I’m still kicking against the helping hands, where I’m still unwilling to give up and let God do His job.

I wanted to post Phil Kline’s terrific version of “Wondrous Love,” from John the Revelator, but can’t find it online. You can buy it on Amazon here for a dollar (or the whole album, which is super great). As a replacement, here is an aching slice of poetry about the Holy Wounds:

Once, twice, thrice–as I crept close
Into the ark, the nest, the bride,
Into the pulse, into the life, into the wounded side
–Eliza Kearny, “Christine and Mary”

And fine, I like this hymn so much, so I’ll give you a version from Chanticleer:

Art

Mackerel-Snapping

self-obsessed

Too much is never enough

by His stripes we are healed

Eliza Kearny

His banner over me was love

I am the least resilient person I know

Our Lady

Phil Kline

prayers to Ven Matt Talbot

Previous Post

June 22, 2014

I Am a Lonely City: Xiao Yang's "Love Letter"

Next Post

June 25, 2014 In Which I Watch "Maleficent"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Best-Of Gay Catholic Whatnot Mackerel-Snapping self-obsessed Too much is never enough Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who cried at the tomb of Lazarus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David John Jesus Peter