O Beautiful Wound

This little book, in the spirit of Contemplative Prayer, is offered in the tradition of ages past. Its pages echo the quiet libraries of cloisters, the chants of monks in their stone-walled seminaries, and the hidden manuscripts that carried prayer through the centuries. Like a bridge from the illuminated psalters of the Middle Ages to the present worship anthems of our day, its intent is not merely to provide spiritual words, but to flood the soul with light, with beauty, and with remembrance of Christ’s holy Passion. The wound, central to this work, recalls not only the sufferings of Calvary but the sacred art of beholding. In the medieval world, to gaze upon Christ crucified was to see mirrored in Him both human frailty and divine mercy. Thus, contemplation of His wounds became a school of the heart, where humility was learned, compassion deepened, and courage renewed. The words within seek to continue that tradition, offering prayers, songs, and reflections as companions for the journey of faith. May they be read slowly, in silence or by candlelight, and may they turn the soul’s gaze toward the crucified and risen Lord. Here is no final word, but only a pathway into the mystery, where Christ Himself is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beautiful Wound through which all healing flows. “Isaacson is never far from her roots, turning abruptly into a side alley, disclosing a Lament, a treasure she bears in her body. Pain and dying that brings life; the suffering servant whose death saves us. “Writing is wrestling, mentally and emotionally, taxing the body and mind. In O Beautiful Wound, Isaacson takes her place alongside fellow battle weary warriors facing each new day. She does so with a resilience found in Jesus.” —Carl Sukkau, former Shared Living Manager at Communitas Abbotsford, BC