Fr. Scott A. Haynes
A Meditation for the Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis
- September 17 -
St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved saints in the Catholic tradition, is perhaps most well-known for his radical imitation of Christ, his humility, and his love for all creation. However, one of the most extraordinary events in his life was his reception of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ. This mystical event took place two years before his death and is considered one of the most powerful moments in Franciscan spirituality and the history of the Church.
The Background: A Life Conformed to Christ
From his youth, Francis desired to live like Christ. After his conversion from a life of luxury and military aspirations, he gave himself entirely to poverty, imitating Christ’s humility and suffering. He began the Franciscan movement with a call to radical simplicity, preaching repentance, and devotion to the crucified Lord. Pope Benedict XVI described St. Francis as “the living icon of Christ in the world” because of his deep conformity to the life of Jesus Christ. His desire to experience Christ’s suffering became central to his spiritual life.
This conformity reached its climax when Francis received the stigmata. According to his earliest biographer, St. Bonaventure, Francis had an intense desire to participate fully in Christ’s Passion. In the Legends of the Life of Saint Francis, Bonaventure writes,
“With unparalleled fervor of spirit, he sought to be entirely transformed in Christ by the fire of divine love.”
This intense prayer and devotion led to the extraordinary event on Mount La Verna in 1224.
The Setting: Mount La Verna
Mount La Verna is where the Lord chose to bestow the visible marks of His Passion on Francis. In September of 1224, Francis withdrew to this mountainous retreat to observe the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, seeking solitude and spiritual renewal. For years, Francis had been known to meditate deeply on the crucified Christ, even going so far as to weep uncontrollably for hours, contemplating the sufferings Jesus endured out of love for humanity.
St. Bonaventure paints a vivid picture of this moment in Francis’s life, describing how Francis climbed Mount La Verna,
“with the ardent longing to be alone with God and seek the deepest union possible with the Lord.”
It was on this mountain, away from the distractions of the world, that Francis would encounter Christ in a profoundly unique and mystical way.
The Vision of the Seraph and the Wounds of Christ
While Francis was praying one morning, he had a vision that forever changed him. St. Bonaventure describes it as a vision of a “seraph with six shining and fiery wings” who appeared to him while he was in deep contemplation. This seraph was not just any angelic figure; it was the crucified Christ Himself. The mystery of the vision deeply moved Francis, as it revealed Christ in the paradoxical glory and suffering of the Cross.
In this vision, Francis saw that the seraph’s wings were outstretched in flight, yet the figure was nailed to a cross. The image of Christ crucified filled him with a sense of both sorrow and joy—sorrow for the Passion of Christ, yet joy in the knowledge of the love that this suffering revealed.
Pope Leo XIII wrote about this event, explaining that
“God, who had inspired the saint with such ardent love for the Cross, wished to show him his love in a way he had never before experienced” (Mira Circa Nos).
It was in this profound moment that Francis not only saw the crucified Christ, but received the stigmata, the visible marks of Christ’s Passion, in his own body.
St. Francis had asked God to let him feel both the pain and the love Christ experienced in His Passion. In response, Francis was marked with the five wounds of Christ: in his hands, feet, and side. St. Bonaventure described how
“his hands and feet appeared pierced by nails, with the heads of the nails appearing on the inner side of the hands and the upper part of the feet, and their points on the opposite side.”
He was now physically bearing the wounds of Christ.
The Meaning of the Stigmata
What was the deeper meaning of this extraordinary event? For St. Francis, the stigmata was not merely a physical manifestation but a sign of his complete identification with Christ in His Passion. It was a mystical confirmation that he had indeed followed Christ as closely as possible, even to the point of suffering in the flesh. Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this when he wrote,
“In receiving the stigmata, Francis became, as it were, a living icon of the crucified Christ” (General Audience, January 27, 2010).
The stigmata was both a grace and a trial for Francis. His biographers tell us that while he was filled with immense joy at being so closely united with Christ, he also suffered greatly because of the physical pain caused by the wounds. St. Bonaventure relates that the pain was at times almost unbearable, yet Francis bore it patiently, in union with Christ’s suffering. He often kept the wounds hidden, not wanting to draw attention to himself, and instead continued his ministry with humility and fervor.
The Stigmata as a Source of Inspiration for the Church
St. Francis’ stigmata is an event that has inspired countless generations of Christians to reflect more deeply on the Passion of Christ. His willingness to embrace suffering for the sake of love reminds us that following Christ is not just about imitating His love in a superficial way, but also about being willing to embrace the Cross.
St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians,
“I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).
For Francis, this was not just metaphorical, but a literal reality. His life and his stigmata become a profound witness to what it means to be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).
In this sense, Francis becomes a model for all Christians. We may not all receive the stigmata physically, but we are all called to unite our sufferings with Christ. Francis embraced suffering and understood it had a place in the plan of salvation. It was part of his personal sanctification and also was something he could offer up to God in intercession for others. Francis came to understand how suffering was a path of love and redemption.
The Mystical Union with Christ
The stigmata can be seen as the fruit of Francis’s deep union with Christ. His intense love for the Lord, expressed in his radical poverty and humility, was rewarded with a mystical experience that few have ever encountered. This union is something we are all invited to, though it may not manifest in the same way.
St. Francis’s experience reminds us of the words of Jesus:
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
The Cross is the path to salvation, and those who embrace it, as Francis did, will be drawn into the mystery of Christ’s love and suffering.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, another saint who bore the stigmata, once said,
“To suffer, and not to die, was my greatest suffering.”
Yet like Francis, St. Pio understood that this suffering was a participation in Christ’s redemptive work. The stigmata, both for Francis and later for St. Pio, became not just a sign of suffering, but a sign of their deep love for Christ and their desire to share in His saving mission.
The Legacy of the Stigmata
The stigmata of St. Francis has had a lasting impact on the Church, not only as a miraculous event but as a source of spiritual inspiration. His life, marked by the wounds of Christ, teaches us about the value of suffering when united with love. Francis’s stigmata reminds us that we, too, are called to be “living icons” of Christ in the world, especially in our willingness to embrace the Cross.
As Pope Leo XIII observed,
“Francis, in his mortal body, displayed before the eyes of men the image of the Crucified” (Mira Circa Nos).
The physical wounds of the stigmata are a visible sign of an invisible reality: Francis had become so conformed to Christ that he not only lived like Him but bore His wounds.
In a world often focused on comfort and avoidance of suffering, the stigmata challenges us to embrace the hardships of life with faith and love. St. Francis, through his mystical experience, teaches us that suffering is not meaningless but can become a profound means of union with Christ when accepted in the spirit of love and humility.
Conclusion: The Path of Suffering and Glory
The story of St. Francis receiving the stigmata is not just a historical event, but a spiritual lesson for all Christians. It invites us to reflect on our own willingness to embrace the Cross and to unite our sufferings with those of Christ. St. Francis shows us that true joy and true union with God are found not in avoiding suffering, but in embracing it for the sake of love.
As we meditate on the stigmata of St. Francis, let us ask for his intercession, that we may have the courage to follow Christ more closely, to love more deeply, and to bear whatever crosses come our way with faith and joy. In doing so, we too may become living icons of Christ’s love, just as Francis was.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which theworld has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
These words of St. Paul encapsulate the spirit of St. Francis. His life, culminating in the stigmata, was a testament to his love for the Cross, his total surrender to Christ, and his profound detachment from the world.
The Stigmata and the Call to Holiness
St. Francis receiving the stigmata serves as a powerful reminder that holiness involves not just imitating the life of Christ but entering into the mystery of His suffering. For Francis, holiness was not a mere abstraction. It was tangible, visible in his actions, and even imprinted on his body. His stigmata shows that the journey toward God often involves suffering, but it is through this suffering that we are purified and made more like Christ.
Holiness is a call for every Christian, and St. Francis’ life demonstrates that this call is not about grand gestures or extraordinary actions but a simple, radical love for God. It involves emptying oneself of earthly attachments and embracing Christ in the most complete way possible—through love, humility, and suffering.
A Model of Humility
Despite receiving such an extraordinary grace as the stigmata, St. Francis remained deeply humble. He often went to great lengths to conceal the marks from others, as he didn’t want to attract attention to himself. St. Bonaventure writes,
“Although he had the visible signs of the stigmata in his body, Francis was careful to hide them from view, not wanting to boast of this divine favor” (Legends of the Life of Saint Francis).
This humility serves as an essential lesson for all of us. The closer Francis came to Christ, the more he sought to disappear from the world’s gaze. He didn’t seek glory for himself but pointed always to Christ crucified. His stigmata became a means for him to live out more profoundly the words of St. John the Baptist:
“He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30).
A Path of Joy in Suffering
Though the stigmata brought St. Francis intense physical suffering, it was also a source of immense joy for him because it united him more fully with the suffering Christ. St. Francis’ joy in suffering mirrors the words of St. Paul, who wrote,
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Colossians 1:24).
For Francis, the stigmata was not just a sign of suffering, but of the joy of participating in Christ’s redemptive mission. This paradox—finding joy in suffering—can be a source of strength and consolation for all of us in our own trials. Suffering, when united with Christ, becomes a pathway to deeper intimacy with God.
The Universal Call to Share in Christ’s Passion
Although few are called to bear the physical stigmata as St. Francis did, every Christian is called to share in Christ’s Passion in some way. St. Therese of Lisieux once said, “To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” Even the smallest sacrifices, if offered in love, can have immense spiritual value.
In this way, St. Francis’ reception of the stigmata is not just a story from the past but an invitation to all of us to unite our own sufferings—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—to Christ. Through the everyday crosses we bear, we participate in the mystery of salvation, just as Francis did on Mount La Verna.
Conclusion: The Glory of the Cross
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