On the Passion of Christ<br/><br/>

Three doctors* once published a research article on the Passion of Jesus Christ, in the Journal of the American Medical Association**.<br/><br/>

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, was it possible that He perspired blood? Although unusual, the answer is certain. When one is in a state of extreme fear and pain, blood vessels in the sweat glands may beprone to burst.<br/><br/>

How many times was Jesus flogged? According to Jewish law, it was to be no more than thirty-nine times. However, it was the Romans who flogged Jesus, so naturally they were not restricted by Jewish laws.<br/><br/>

Did Jesus carry the whole cross?<br/><br/>

According to Roman traditions, the criminal bears only the horizontal bar (approximately 100 lbs). The vertical piece would already be planted on the crucifixion grounds. Once the criminal arrives at the grounds, his arms are nailed to the horizontal bar. Then both the horizontal bar and the body are lifted onto the vertical piece, like the letter ‘T’. Lastly, his feet would be nailed to the cross. So did the nail go into Jesus’ hands? Or did they go into his wrists?<br/><br/>

According to research, the nails went into his wrists.<br/><br/>

All of this was extracted from the results of scholarly research. What is important is that Jesus isresurrected. Let us cherish the grace that Jesus has brought to us through His sacrifice, and live in peace and harmony. <br/><br/>

* Dr. William Edwards, Dr. Wesley Gabel, Dr. Floyd Hosmer ** The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)[ Ref.: Catholic Digest March 2004 p.74]