The Wounds of Jesus: the wounds of triumph

A few days after his death, the Risen Jesus appears to a group of disciples locked in the upper room; "... he showed them his hands and his side. At the sight of the Lord, the disciples rejoiced." Now his wounds proclaim his triumph over death, and the disciples are overjoyed in beholding them. (John 20,20)

The Wounds Bring Belief

The next week, Jesus appears again and invites Thomas -- the disciple who was absent at his first appearance and who doubted his resurrection -- to put his finger into the nail marks in his hands and to put his hand into his side, and believe. His wounds bring belief to the wavering disciple: "My Lord and my God."(John 20,28)

The wounds of Jesus and the Sacraments