The Scar
Whenever I ask my 18-month-old about his belly he proudly lifts his shirt and inserts
a finger into his belly button. Recently, when he did this, I was taken back to the
time of his delivery. In my mind's eye I could plainly see my newborn son squirming
and filling his lungs with air for the first time. I also remember having the opportunity
to cut the cord that had connected him and his mother for so long. That separation
of mother and child has left a scar to remind my son of the sufferings his mother
endured.
When meditating on the crucifix I am inclined to focus on the more obvious wounds
of our Lord’s body. For instance, I only focus on the wounds in the hands and feet
or the pierced side of the Savior. There is a wound, or a scar, rather, that has
caught my attention recently but is often overlooked in meditations.
The navel or bellybutton of our Lord can speak volumes to us. Christ’s bellybutton
first of all signifies His humanity. Many paintings of the Child Jesus are nude to
show that He was fully human. But I think His bellybutton proves His humanity far
better. The fact that Jesus had a bellybutton means that Jesus was born of a
woman. It is a scar, a birthmark, which all men have. It is a constant reminder that
someone loved me very much and made a tremendous sacrifice for me.
The Love of a Woman
Besides the love God has for man, there is no stronger bond of love than that
between a mother and her child. Jesus and Mary are intimately linked. Mary could
truly say, "This is my body, this is my blood." Mary carried Jesus in her womb for
nine months. Mary felt Jesus’ first kicks. God became flesh and received all His
nourishment through this very birth scar. Jesus humbled Himself to be born of a
woman and Mary nursed God at her breast. Mary held God’s hands during His first
steps and the Creator was held in the arms of His creation. Mary called God in for
dinner and taught Him to live among His people.
Jesus could have just wandered onto the scene and begun His work. He could have
just as easily walked out of the desert and into the synagogue and begun teaching,
but He saw fit that He should experience human life. In meditating on this birth scar
of Christ I can draw many conclusions. The foremost of these is that God chose to
live a fully human life. By becoming man and being born of a woman, Christ has
sanctified all human life. The birth scar is proof of His intimate connection with
human nature and that He was fully human.
I cannot look at Mary without thinking of Jesus nor can I look at His birth scar
without thinking of Mary. Mary is truly the gate of Heaven. She is the link between
Heaven and Earth. By her saying "yes" to God we are now able to become not
only sons and daughters of the Father, but also sons and daughters of Mary for we
are the "rest of her offspring" against whom the devil is waging war (Rv 12:17).
Healing Wounds
Today, as we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us remember
that Jesus lived first within the womb of this holy woman. Surely as she visited with
her cousin Elizabeth, they spoke of the lives contained within them - Jesus and
John the Baptist.
As we pause today to meditate and reflect on the mystery of the Visitation, let us
remember the labor of the Blessed Mother and what she may have experienced as
she stood at the foot of her son's cross and stared at the scar that once connected
them so intimately. Surely, her womb ached. Surely, she was reminded of that
joyful night in Bethlehem so long ago when He squirmed and took His first breath.
Or perhaps she was reminded of a time when He too lifted His shirt and placed a
finger in that beautiful scar.
It is said that the only things in Heaven that are manmade are the scars on the
body of our Lord. I say there is one other scar in Heaven that is more beautiful than
all the other scars. The scars in His hands and feet were caused by the hate of
men, but the scar in the middle of His belly was caused by the love of the Woman
and by it too, we were healed.
- From the new booklet by James M. Hahn "They Shall Look Upon Him Whom They Have Pierced:
Meditations on the Crucifix" available from Real Life Rosary in Lent 2005
James M. Hahn is the Director of Religious Education at St. Michael Church in Worthington, Ohio. He is the founder
of Real Life Rosary and the author of Rosary Meditations for Real Life available at www.realliferosary.
com. James lives in Southeast Ohio with his wife and three children. He can be contacted at
webmaster@realliferosary.com.
Whenever I ask my 18-month-old about his belly he proudly lifts his shirt and inserts
a finger into his belly button. Recently, when he did this, I was taken back to the
time of his delivery. In my mind's eye I could plainly see my newborn son squirming
and filling his lungs with air for the first time. I also remember having the opportunity
to cut the cord that had connected him and his mother for so long. That separation
of mother and child has left a scar to remind my son of the sufferings his mother
endured.
When meditating on the crucifix I am inclined to focus on the more obvious wounds
of our Lord’s body. For instance, I only focus on the wounds in the hands and feet
or the pierced side of the Savior. There is a wound, or a scar, rather, that has
caught my attention recently but is often overlooked in meditations.
The navel or bellybutton of our Lord can speak volumes to us. Christ’s bellybutton
first of all signifies His humanity. Many paintings of the Child Jesus are nude to
show that He was fully human. But I think His bellybutton proves His humanity far
better. The fact that Jesus had a bellybutton means that Jesus was born of a
woman. It is a scar, a birthmark, which all men have. It is a constant reminder that
someone loved me very much and made a tremendous sacrifice for me.
The Love of a Woman
Besides the love God has for man, there is no stronger bond of love than that
between a mother and her child. Jesus and Mary are intimately linked. Mary could
truly say, "This is my body, this is my blood." Mary carried Jesus in her womb for
nine months. Mary felt Jesus’ first kicks. God became flesh and received all His
nourishment through this very birth scar. Jesus humbled Himself to be born of a
woman and Mary nursed God at her breast. Mary held God’s hands during His first
steps and the Creator was held in the arms of His creation. Mary called God in for
dinner and taught Him to live among His people.
Jesus could have just wandered onto the scene and begun His work. He could have
just as easily walked out of the desert and into the synagogue and begun teaching,
but He saw fit that He should experience human life. In meditating on this birth scar
of Christ I can draw many conclusions. The foremost of these is that God chose to
live a fully human life. By becoming man and being born of a woman, Christ has
sanctified all human life. The birth scar is proof of His intimate connection with
human nature and that He was fully human.
I cannot look at Mary without thinking of Jesus nor can I look at His birth scar
without thinking of Mary. Mary is truly the gate of Heaven. She is the link between
Heaven and Earth. By her saying "yes" to God we are now able to become not
only sons and daughters of the Father, but also sons and daughters of Mary for we
are the "rest of her offspring" against whom the devil is waging war (Rv 12:17).
Healing Wounds
Today, as we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us remember
that Jesus lived first within the womb of this holy woman. Surely as she visited with
her cousin Elizabeth, they spoke of the lives contained within them - Jesus and
John the Baptist.
As we pause today to meditate and reflect on the mystery of the Visitation, let us
remember the labor of the Blessed Mother and what she may have experienced as
she stood at the foot of her son's cross and stared at the scar that once connected
them so intimately. Surely, her womb ached. Surely, she was reminded of that
joyful night in Bethlehem so long ago when He squirmed and took His first breath.
Or perhaps she was reminded of a time when He too lifted His shirt and placed a
finger in that beautiful scar.
It is said that the only things in Heaven that are manmade are the scars on the
body of our Lord. I say there is one other scar in Heaven that is more beautiful than
all the other scars. The scars in His hands and feet were caused by the hate of
men, but the scar in the middle of His belly was caused by the love of the Woman
and by it too, we were healed.
- From the new booklet by James M. Hahn "They Shall Look Upon Him Whom They Have Pierced:
Meditations on the Crucifix" available from Real Life Rosary in Lent 2005
James M. Hahn is the Director of Religious Education at St. Michael Church in Worthington, Ohio. He is the founder
of Real Life Rosary and the author of Rosary Meditations for Real Life available at www.realliferosary.
com. James lives in Southeast Ohio with his wife and three children. He can be contacted at
webmaster@realliferosary.com.
| The Birth Scar |