Short Talks
This section of the website comprises short stand-alone talks and articles on different aspects of the Christian Faith, including the teaching of Jesus, the seasons of the Church’s Year and Feasts and Festivals. More talks/sermons/homilies/articles will be added in due course.
The section of the website entitled The Christian Faith provides more extended teaching on larger content areas, such as the Creed and the Sacraments.
The wounds of Christ
This new section of the Holy Faith website comprises six short talks:
1. A world in revolt: sin and suffering (introductory talk)
2. The scourging (repentance)
3. The crown of thorns (loyalty)
4. His hands (generosity)
5. His feet (obedience)
6. His side (love)
A world in revolt: sin and suffering
Jesus said, the Son of Man “…must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation” (NRSV, Luke 17:25)
The wounds of Christ are the unmistakeable evidence of his sufferings that Good Friday.
Suffering is both a fact and a problem of life. The problem has been stated by saying that if God is all-powerful and allows suffering, then he is not all-good; if he is all-good and allows suffering then he is not all-powerful. But there are certain factors which raise the problem to a level where, for the Christian, although it remains a mystery, it ceases to be a problem.
The scourging (repentance)
“Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him” (RSV, John 19:1)
Christ “himself bore our sins … that we might die to sin and live to righteousness”. “…by whose stripes ye were healed” (RSV and King James Bible, 1 Peter 2:24)
Although Our Blessed Lord’s earthly life lasted a little over 30 years and his ministry nearly three, only one day is described for us in detail – and that day was his last – from sunset on Maundy Thursday to sunset on Good Friday. And the reason for this is that that day was the most significant of all, not only in Christ’s own life, but in the whole history of humankind; for in those 24 hours the eternal salvation of all humankind was made possible.