Ave Maria:

In his sermon for the second Sunday after Epiphany, St. Alphonsus says that the 5 refuge cities of the Old Testament are a type of Our Lady:

In the Old Law there were five cities of refuge, in which not all, but only those who had committed certain crimes, could find an asylum; but in Mary, says St. John Damascene, all criminals, whatever may be their offences, may take refuge.

The 5 cities were instituted to serve as refuge for people who unintentionally killed somebody, to protect them from the family taking revenge, for example. The Old Testament passage in question is from the Book of Numbers chapter 35:

Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will. And when the fugitive shall be in them, the kinsman of him that is slain may not have power to kill him, until he stand before the multitude, and his cause be judged. And of those cities, that are separated for the refuge of fugitives, three shall be beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Chanaan. As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will.

This interpretation is perfectly in line with Our Lady being the Refugium Peccatorum of Her litanies. But, couldn’t these 5 or 6 cities be also a figure of Our Lord’s sacred wounds? I think I read interpretation somewhere else. Have you read it was well? If so, where?

Interestingly, if we consider the number of cities as 6, the interpretation would also work, due to the shoulder wound from the weight of the Cross that was revealed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

In general, I’m very devoted to the wounds of Our Lord, so if you know of interesting books about this devotion, please share them.

I'm confused. The quote mentions three cities in Canaan and three beyond that Jordan. That sounds like six to me unless one of them fulfilled both those definitions?

I know as much as you do.

My guess is that St. Alphonsus made a mistake or maybe St. John Damascene, whom St. Alphonsus seems to be quoting.

However, the interpretation of the six cities as wounds of Christ would still work because of the shoulder wound revealed to St. Bernard de Clairvaux.

Ave María