By His Wounds We Are Healed Show Descriptions

Healing Wounds, The Original Table of Contents

Episode 1. Fr. Henchey introduces us to the vast mystery of the healing wounds of Christ with an overview of the many Scriptural references and allusions to the Suffering Servant of God who opens the gates of God’s mercy to all of His people on earth. Throughout this course, Fr. Henchey will draw on Scripture, on Papal documents and on the work of many theologians throughout the centuries who have all tried to help us glimpse the mystery that “by his wounds, we are healed.” (We recommend that you download and print out the Table of Contents (below) to make this episode easier to follow). ​Monday, January 1, 2018.

Episode 2. Fr. Henchey helps us to understand the “wounded one,” the Suffering Servant of Isaiah who is both a model of and a pre-figuration of Christ, by explaining how he is relevant to our own lives. First, he shows that any servant of God is an avid listener to God’s word. Second, that the servant is committed to transmitting God’s Word, especially to the discouraged. And third, that anyone who chooses to serve God must be prepared for an ordeal which will bring with it its own temptations to anxiety and discouragement. But, as always and through every difficulty, hope in the Lord sustains us until we are finally and fully united with Him in Heaven. Monday, January 8, 2018.

Episode 3. In this episode, Fr. Henchey continues his explanation of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant concentrating on the message of mercy and hope which infuses his suffering. Given the tremendous suffering of humans throughout history, it is easy for all of us to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. But it is important to remember that the Stigmata of Christ are not only Sorrowful but Glorious and they inspire us to take up our crosses everyday and move forward in the hopes that one day we will all hear from the merciful God, as the thief did, “This day you are with me in paradise!” January 15, 2018.

Episode 4. In this reflection, Fr. Henchey explores the meaning of the “Pierced One” of Zech 12:10 ff which we take to be a pre-figurement of Christ, The Lamb of God.  He looks particularly at three aspects of this idea of the “Lamb”: the paschal lamb of Exodus whose blood protected the Israelites, the lamb as servant described in Is 53 and lamb as the wounded shepherd and the streams of purification flowing from his side. Zech 13. January 22, 2018.

Episode 5. In this reflection, Fr. Henchey begins a deep study on the precious blood of the lamb beginning with its history in the ancient sacrificial rituals of the Israelites leading up to the blood which saved the people at the first Passover. January 29, 2018.

Episode 6: Fr. Henchey continues his examination of the ancient Hebrew sacrifice rituals which form the backdrop for the promise Christ ultimately fulfilled in his own sacrifice on Calvary. Using the Letter to the Hebrews as his foundation, Fr. Henchey compares the role and importance of the Hebrew great high priest in the ritual sacrifice of Yom Kippur to Christ’s own role as both Priest and Lamb. February 5, 2018.

Episode 7: In this reflection, Fr. Henchey remarks on the way the Letter to the Hebrews summarizes and amplifies the theology and liturgy of the Lamb in the Book of Leviticus. He begins with the importance of blood in the Old Testament, then moves to a discussion of the institution of the Feast of the Passover. He describes how this feast became a mutual covenant in God’s mercy and through that discussion we learn how the limits of expiation in the Old Testament are surpassed as Christ, the Great High Priest, sanctifies the sanctuary with his own Precious Blood. February 12, 2018.

Episode 8: The previous reflection leads directly into this one which draws on Peter’s reference to the Precious Blood in 1 Peter 1:18-25, the first excursus on the saving wounds of Christ in the New Testament. February 19, 2018.

Episode 9: In this reflection, Fr. Henchey delves into several of the critical chapters of the Gospel of John which set the foundation for a deeper understanding of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. Specifically, he examines John 1 (the Lamb of God), John 12 (the grain of wheat), John 11 (the unwitting prophesy of the High Priest) and John 10 (the Good Shepherd). This foundation leads to the Gospel of Glory which begins with John 13. February 26, 2018.

Episode 10:  In this reflection, Fr. Henchey pays close attention to the passage in John 19:34 which tells of the soldier who pierced the side of Christ. He goes on to show how this event was incorporated in the New Catechism after Vatican II. March 5, 2018.

Episode 11: Fr. Henchey finishes his exploration of John 19 and its story of the crucifixion by discussing the meaning of the spear which wounded the side of Christ and the meaning of the blood and water which flowed from his side. He finishes by looking closely at St. Bernard of Clarvaiux’s commentary on the Song of Songs and the way in which the dove hiding in the clefts of the rock serves as a metaphor for the solace, protection and hope we can find by “hiding” in the wounds of Christ our Lord. March 12, 2018.

Episode 12: Fr. Henchey begins this reflection with an excursus on St. Augustine’s commentary on the Psalms and follows that with Thomas Aquinas’ commentary on the open side found in John, connecting both of them to the opening in Adam’s side so that the woman, Eve, could be formed. Just as new life came from Adam’s side, a new Church was born from the open side of Christ. March 19, 2018.

Episode 13: In this episode, Fr. Henchey continues a discussion of the question: when and how was the Church born? Using Papal writings and teachings he shows us how the Church itself was born from the wounded side of Christ and how it continues to be reborn in this way until the end of time. He concludes by explaining that we who are members of the Church will enter into eternal life through that same wounded side. March 26, 2018.

Episode 14: Fr. Henchey considers the birth of the Church in its four “marks;” that is, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic and ponders them in light of the open side of Christ. Then he opens a new direction in this series which will explore the rich ambivalence of Biblical “darkness” (of Holy Saturday) beginning with the “darkness” of Job. ​April 2, 2018.

Episode 15: In this reflection, Fr. Henchey begins a new segment in the series with an excurses on the Biblical darkness which fell on good Friday. He starts by tracing the many references to darkness throughout the Old Testament which teach us that while physical light may be absent in the dark of night, God’s love is not. Thus, we must always live in hope. It is hope that will carry us from the darkness of Good Friday into the light-filled glory of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. April 9, 2018.

Episode 16: Fr. Henchey continues his discussion on darkness by comparing the description of darkness in Wisdom 17 with the darkness illuminated by the pillar of fire in Exodus 10:21-29. Further, he looks at Wisdom 17 from the perspective of the prophetic “Day of the Lord” described in Amos and Joel. Yet, as we see in Peter’s inaugural address after Pentecost in Acts 2:14-21, which also refers to darkness, those powers will not prevail. April 16, 2018.

Episode 17: Fr. Henchey finishes his discussion of the Biblical darkness that preceded the tearing of the temple veil and begins a multi-part exploration of the meaning of this great mystery. For context, he uses the descriptions of the temple and its veil by the historian, Josephus, and compares them to the Biblical descriptions found in Mark, Luke, Matthew, and Sirach. April 23, 2018.

Episode 18: In this reflection, Fr. Henchey shows how the torn temple veil in the three synoptic Gospels gives way to the torn body of Christ in the Gospel of John. He further compares the Gospels to the Letter to the Hebrews which has the most developed theology and spirituality of the torn side of Christ, only briefly mentioned in John. He uses this to remind us that while Mark emphasizes Christology and Matthew emphasizes the Church, while Luke emphasizes prayer and John the Incarnate Word, it is Hebrews which helps us understand Christ as the great high priest of mercy. April 30, 2018.

Episode 19: Following up on the previous reflection, Fr. Henchey delves more deeply into both the Letter to the Hebrews and the Gospel of John and their common references to the pierced side.  But, it is Hebrews which helps us to realize that the torn temple veil is the pierced side and the gateway through which Jesus passed from the sanctuary of earthy life and into the eternal one. He shows how Hebrews develops the psychology of the great high priest who rose up to celebrate forever in the celestial sanctuary. May 7, 2018.

Episode 20: Because of the importance of the Letter to the Hebrews to our understanding of the connection between the tearing of the temple veil and the opening of the side of Christ, Fr. Henchey looks specifically at Hebrews 6:19-20, 9:2ff and 10. He concludes with the image from Hebrews of Christ as an anchor thrown up into the heavens drawing all things to himself. May 14, 2018.

Episode 21: Fr. Henchey goes more deeply into the opening of the side of Christ mentioned in John and more fully developed in the Letter to the Hebrews. He focuses on the image of Christ as an anchor of hope thrown up into the heavens in (Heb 6:19-20) and he explores the symbolism of Christ drawing all to himself up into the celestial sanctuary. He highlights the spiritual direction these passages give us as they encourage each of us to put on the mind of Christ and follow him into the very same sanctuary. May 21, 2018.

Episode 22: Fr. Henchey takes up a more thorough description of what we know of the ancient temple of the Hebrews, comparing descriptions of the temple from Exodus, Leviticus and the Letter to the Hebrews. Descriptions of the temple are full of symbolic meaning from its location to the various parts which compose it. All of it is meant to prepare us for the New Temple which is the Body of Christ. May 28, 2018.

Episode 23: Here, Fr. Henchey gives us more on Heb 9:1-14 comparing the old law and the new, the old liturgy and the new, and the old sanctuary and the new. June 4, 2018.

Episode 24: In this episode, Fr. Henchey develops the idea of Christ as the perfect sacrifice, once and for all. He is the perfect priest and the perfect victim, granting us the gift of eternal life. Again, he compares the torn temple veil to the opening of the side of Christ, giving us the gateway to his Sacred Heart. June 11, 2018.

Episode 25: Fr. Henchey begins an excursus on the three theological dimensions great mystery of the open side of Christ:  Jesus’ filial obedience to the Father, his complete abandonment to the will of the Father and his constitutional filiation with the Father. In this reflection, Fr. Henchey explores the first of these three dimensions, examining it Biblically as well as through the eyes of ancient and modern theologians. ​June 18, 2018.

Episode 26: Here, Fr. Henchey focuses on the second theological dimension of the mystery of the open side: Christ’s complete abandonment to the will of God. He shows how this is reflected in our own lives in the “thy will be done” petition of the Our Father. Further, he shows how the saints who lived through the “dark night of the soul” did so by trusting completely in the mercy of God and abandoning their will to His. In the same way, we will not lose hope in our own dark nights if we can learn to trust God completely. June 25, 2018.

Episode 27: The third theological dimension of the mystery of the open side is Christ’s constitutional filiation with the Father. Fr Henchey explains that this is shown in the way that Jesus, the beloved Son, is always turned toward God, His Father. In this way, we can see a glimpse of the mutual indwelling of the Most Blessed Trinity. Emphasizing the writings of Cardinal Ratzinger, Fr. Henchey shows that the prayers Jesus prayed in his human nature revealed and maintained his divine connection with God while showing himself as distinct from the Father. July 2, 2018.

Episode 28: In this episode, Fr. Henchey summarizes this long series on the on the healing wounds with an emphasis on the kenosis and the constitutional filiation of Christ which continually renews the face of the earth. After this summary, Fr. Henchey will begin a new chapter in this series focused on the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. July 9, 2018.​​

Episode 29: Continuing his summary on the open side, Fr. Henchey explains how important it is to contemplate the weaknesses of Christ which culminated in the defacing of his body after death. Nevertheless, in that weakness and through his open side, Christ gave the world the treasures of divinity. In our lives, the Eucharist constantly renews Christ’s great sacrifice with the promise of hope. If we “put on the mind of Christ,” we will find ourselves being pulled onward and upward by Him who was raised on the Cross. By his death and through the wounds of his Stigmata, we are bathed by streams of salvation. ​July 16, 2018.​

Episode 30: In this episode, Fr. Henchey concludes his direct exploration of the pierced side of Christ and begins a focus on the Sacred Heart devotion with a reference to Deuteronomy 7:7 (“the Lord set his heart upon you”) and Matthew 11:29 (“Learn from me for I am gentle of heart”). July 23, 2018.

Episode 31: In the next few episodes, Fr. Henchey will uncover the Biblical background for the devotion to the Sacred Heart. He begins with an analysis of Psalm 119 and in a more personal reflection, gives us an idea of how this psalm influenced the spirituality of his own Founder, St. Gaspar Bertoni. July 30, 2018.

Episode 32: Continuing his exploration of Ps 119 and its description of the heart of God, Fr. Henchey weaves in the work of the French theologian, Paul De Meesteer and his work, “Rediscover the Sacred Heart.” August 6, 2018.

Episode 33: Fr. Henchey rapidly surveys the Old Testament psalms and prophets, uncovering their references to the loving heart of God and to the Suffering Servant whose own loving and pierced heart will bring salvation to mankind. The loving heart of the Messiah is the central key to the mystery of redemption and the ultimate return of man to the arms of the loving God who made him. August 13, 2018.

Episode 34: Focusing now on the foundations of the devotion to the Sacred Heart found in the New Testament, Fr. Henchey discusses the personal, limitless and always available love of God through Christ for his people individually, not just for a people more broadly, as we see in the Old Testament. That personal love leads directly to the development of the natural symbol of the Sacred Heart to which many people over the generations have been devoted. August 20, 2018.

Episode 35: While the idea of the “Sacred Heart” of Jesus is not revealed in Scripture per se, it has developed through the centuries in the minds and hearts of the saints and mystics and was finally articulated by St. Mary Alacoque. The Sacred Heart is the heart of the Church itself and is a symbolic expression of the bond between the humanity of Christ and the vitality of the Church. August 27, 2018.

Episode 36: In this episode, Fr. Henchey concludes his discussion of the Biblical foundations of the Sacred Heart and finishes with an exhortation to unite our daily lives to the sacrifice of Christ. September 3, 2018.

Episode 37: Continuing on in his discussion of the mystery of Divine Love as revealed in the icon of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Henchey explores the way in which this Love is essentially Trinitarian. He divides his discussion into the “ad intra” and “ad extra” workings of the Trinity and shows how the “ad intra” love within the Trinity results in the “ad extra” “relics” we call the Sacraments. September 10, 2018.

Episode 38: In this reflection, Fr. Henchey focuses on the “ad extra” dimension of Trinitarian Love and shows how creation, redemption and sanctification flow from the essential nature of God in the three persons of the Holy Trinity. September 17, 2018.

Episode 39: Fr. Henchey continues his reflection on the way God reaches out to us, focusing particularly on the role of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity and on his Redemption of humanity. The more that we are able to be reflections of his loving redemption of humanity by showing mercy and forgiveness to others in our daily lives, the more we participate with God to make of everyday a new creation. September 24, 2018.

Episode 40: Fr. Henchey explains that it was the love of God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit—that made the universe and who is constantly reinventing it. We have been given the devotion of the Sacred Heart to inspire us to a deeper understanding of the Trinity and a fuller grasp of divine mercy to be which we must share with one another. October 1, 2018.

SERIES FINALE – Episode 41: In this reflection, Fr. Henchey brings together the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the devotion to the Sacred heart in the recent theology of the Church as a way of encouraging a contemporary contemplation of this great mystery of God’s love. October 8, 2018.

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