Brand Marks

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

Westerns or movies and television shows about the west and its settlement often divided men into farmers and cattle ranchers. One of the scenes that was always expected in such content depicted the branding of the cattle. A hot fire brand was used to burn the skin of the cattle, marking them as the property of a particular ranch. This physical sign of "belonging" was the thinking behind the practice of circumcision for Jewish males. That mark in their flesh indicated to whom they belonged. Israelites bore this "brand" with pride.

That pride is reflected in the writings of St. Paul in many of his letters. Today's reading from the Letter to the Colossians is one such example. St. Paul, a circumcised Jew, maintains that this mark in the flesh is no longer necessary. The mark of circumcision has been replaced by another mark in the flesh, the marks left by the nails which held Jesus to the cross and the open wound in his side made by the lance of a Roman soldier. However, rather than receiving the nail prints in our flesh, St. Paul maintains that we gain them through baptism. This is what he means when he says that we die with Christ crucified through baptism. The Church describes this phenomenon by maintaining the baptism indelibly marks our soul with the brand marks of the crucifixion.

The wounds which Jesus displays to his disciples after the resurrection are borne with pride. They are marks which identify us as belonging to the new Covenant, the Covenant forged on Mt. Calvary. Just as the Israelites covenanted with God on a mountain, so too did Jesus covenant us with God through his death on a mountain outside of Jerusalem.

For those of us who bear the physical marks of chronic illness and or disability, we have come to understand that such wounds can be worn with pride for they identify us as faithful disciples of Jesus. The Gospel today recounts the call of the Twelve. They will eventually bear marks of dying for Christ. To this day, the Church depicts the martyrs with the instruments of their death. We, the latter day disciples of Jesus also wear our wounds with pride.