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Views from the Choir Loft

Christ, the Wounded Healer

Richard J. Clark · April 18, 2014

THOUGHT IT STRANGE when looking at my bookcase. Grouped together are some of my favorite and essential books: the Graduale Romanum, Campion Missal, Lumen Christi Missal, and The Musical Shape of the Liturgy. But somehow, wedged right in the middle, as if to say, “Pay attention to me!” was Henri Nouwen’s 1972 classic, The Wounded Healer – Ministry in Contemporary Society. How did it get there?

Nouwen’s book recounts a story from the Talmud, summarizing:

“The Messiah, the story tells us, is sitting among the poor, binding his wounds, one at a time, waiting for the moment when he will be needed. So too it is with the minister…he is called to be the wounded healer, the one who must look after his own wounds but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others.

”Jesus has given this story a new fullness by making his own broken body the way to health, to liberation and new life. Thus like Jesus, he who proclaims liberation is called not only to care for his own wounds and the wounds of others, but also to make his wounds into a major source of his healing power.” (The Wounded Healer, pg. 84, Doubleday and Co.)

So, the general premise of Nouwen’s books is that through our wounds, through our brokenness and perhaps even human imperfection, we are capable of helping others heal. We must be mindful of this through our work in the Church, and as musicians, through liturgy.

ROFESSIONALLY, MANY CHURCH MUSICIANS face challenges which may include some “war stories.” But with the frailty of human life sadly on display all around us, these are nothing in comparison. There is much needed perspective on what is true suffering and what are the common travails of a life of service. But in a profession in which it is difficult—indeed often impossible—to separate our spiritual, personal, and professional lives, our personal wounds must be cared for so that we may be ready to serve when called upon. To take it a step further, it is often because of our wounds that we can better serve others, provided that we have learned from them.

Distance helps heal wounds. But so does forgiveness. When distance is not possible, forgiveness many times every day is necessary. Then what you have suffered leads to wisdom, perspective, and understanding, providing a rock upon which others may lean. While joy and suffering are natural parts of human existence, challenge and pain is necessary for growth. Adversity builds strength. As such, suffering may come as a seemingly strange, yet potent blessing.

From suffering flowers great beauty. Therefore, as servants of the liturgy, we have an obligation to foster beauty and prayer. Our work will always find ways to humble us, as it should. In this humility, we can also find the healing prayer that our brothers and sisters need.

In Jesus, the Unblemished Lamb, we find the ultimate sacrifice. In Him we find our healer and Savior. May our work in sacred music lead people to Christ, the Great Healer who bore for us His wounds.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,

our sufferings that he endured,

while we thought of him as stricken,

as one smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our offenses,

crushed for our sins;

upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,

by his stripes we were healed.

— Isaiah 53: 4-5
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Richard J. Clark

About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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5 April 2021 • When Girls *SING*

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • Condemned?

On Palm Sunday, the Passion was read. Immediately after mention is made of the betrayal by Judas, the Holy Eucharist is introduced. Is this not a condemnation of “Christians” who deny the Church teaching on the SANCTISSIMUM? Here is Matthew 26: And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: “Is it I, Rabbi?” He saith to him: “Thou hast said it.” And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“I have, on the other hand, retained several more or less traditional tunes, absolutely valueless and without merit from a musical point of view, but which seem to have become a necessity if a book is to appeal—as I hope this one will—to the varied needs of various churches.”

— A. Edmonds Tozer (1905)

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