Chapel of the Five Holy Wounds (Burg-Reuland)

On the exit to Bracht is this striking chapel. The building does not look that old, but when you look inside you see a slate cross on which you can hardly read that this was erected in worship of the Five Holy Wounds of Christ.
The five Holy Wounds of Christ were the five piercing wounds inflicted on Jesus during the crucifixion. Two wounds were caused by the nails struck by the hands. Two wounds are related to the nail(s) that were struck by both feet. The fifth wound was placed with a lance in the side of Jesus' chest as an act of grace to end suffering. In the Gospel of John it is mentioned that blood and water came from this wound. (John 19:34).
These wounds are not explicitly mentioned in the canonical gospels. During his Stations of the Cross, Jesus suffered other wounds such as those due to the crown of thorns and the flogging.
On the crucifix these places are represented by the figures of two hands, the feet and centrally the heart of Christ.

Jan Rymenams