Daily Catholic Lectio
Tue, 5 May 2026
Fifth Week of Easter
Ac 14:19–28. Jn 14:27–31
The Wounded Healer
In Christian spirituality, there is a beautiful expression: “the wounded healer.” It means that the one who heals others often carries wounds within. Because he has suffered, he can understand the suffering of others. Because he has been weak, he can be gentle with the weak.
In the first reading, Paul becomes a wounded healer. He is stoned, dragged outside the city, and left as dead. Yet he rises and continues the mission. With Barnabas, he strengthens the disciples and says, “It is through many hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.” These words come not from comfort, but from suffering. Paul encourages others while he himself is wounded.
In the Gospel, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” He says this just before His Passion. He knows betrayal, rejection, fear, and the cross are near. Yet He gives peace. His peace is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence of trust in the Father.
Jesus is the true wounded healer. He does not give peace because His life was easy. He gives peace because He has passed through suffering and remained united with the Father. After the Resurrection, His wounds remain, but they are no longer signs of defeat. They become signs of love and healing.
We too are wounded healers. We carry our own wounds—rejection, misunderstanding, loneliness, failure, or pain. But in Christ, our wounds need not make us bitter. They can make us compassionate.
Today, the Lord invites us not to hide our wounds, but to place them in His hands. A wound given to Christ becomes a source of healing. A heart touched by His peace can give peace to others.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A ‘Yesni Prays’ Initiative
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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