May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world . . . From now on, let no one make troubles for me;
for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. (Gal 6:14-18)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070322.cfm
The stigmata (bearing the wounds of Christ in one’s flesh) is not something to marvel at, as people tend to do. The problem is that people never recognize the wounds of Christ in the poor, in those ravaged by disease, in those marginalized by society. Their wounds are the true stigmata of Christ, and those wounds accuse us all. Perhaps Saint Paul has a point in reminding us that we should only boast in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
XIV Sunday, Ordinary Time
