This feast of the Stigmata, 17 September, has special meaning this year. The Franciscan Family marks a very special happening that took place 800 years ago on Mount La Verna in Tuscany, Italy. In September 1224 Francis of Assisi had gone to this beautiful and isolated place to spend an extended period of prayer with some of his closest friar companions.

And there he received the sacred stigmata, the five wounds of Christ imprinted on his body – the first recorded stigmata in history.

Today the Chapel of the Stigmata is perched on the edge of the same sheer precipice where St. Francis stood two years before his death and was swept up into the mystery of God’s overwhelming love for him and for humanity. 

St. Bonaventure, in his Life of St. Francis, describes Francis as being more inflamed than usual with the love of God as he began a special time of prayer at La Verna that September of 1224. Bonaventure writes, “His unquenchable fire of love for the good Jesus was fanned into such a blaze of flames that so many waters could not quench so powerful a love”.

Bonaventure goes on: “While Francis was praying on the mountainside, he saw a Seraph with six fiery and shining wings descend from the height of heaven. And when in swift flight the Seraph had reached a spot in the air near him there appeared between the wings the figure of a man crucified, with his hands and feet extended in the form of a cross and fastened to a cross. Two of the wings were lifted above his head, two were extended for flight and two covered his whole body.”

When the vision disappeared, writes Bonaventure, Francis was left with a “marvellous fire of love” in his heart. At the same time, there “was imprinted on his body markings that were no less marvellous.” These markings were the stigmata, the wounds of Christ crucified.

Francis imitated Christ so perfectly that our Lord wished to honour him with this unique gift by imprinting His five wounds upon his body. Francis, the friend and lover of Christ, had been transformed into the likeness of the one whom he loved so much. The marks on his flesh were an exterior manifestation of the profound mystical relationship between him and Christ, a proof of the transformative power of love. On La Verna, Bonaventure tells us, “the true love of Christ transformed the lover into the very image of the Beloved".

This vision on La Verna was the second vision Francis had experienced of Jesus, wounded in hands, feet and side, suffering on the cross. Both visions are closely interrelated.

The first vision happened to Francis shortly after his conversion from a rather worldly life. After that experience, Bonaventure tells us: “One day, while Francis was praying in a secluded spot and he became totally absorbed in God through his extreme fervour, Jesus Christ appeared to him fastened to the cross. Francis’ soul melted at the sight, and the memory of Christ’s passion was so impressed on the innermost recesses of his heart that from that hour, whenever Christ’s crucifixion came to mind, he could scarcely contain his tears and sighs.”

Bonaventure points out that from that time onwards, Francis began “rendering humble service to lepers with care and devoted kindness. He visited their houses frequently, and generously distributed alms to them and with great compassion kissed their hands.”

Then two years before his death, St. Francis had the second vision of Christ fastened to the cross in that extraordinary encounter on La Verna. Bonaventure tells us that when Francis saw this vision “he was overwhelmed and his heart was flooded with a mixture of joy and sorrow. He rejoiced because of the gracious way Christ looked upon him under the form of a Seraph, but the fact that he was fastened to a cross pierced his soul with a sword of compassionate sorrow.”
 

And as before, this second experience of Jesus Crucified filled Francis not only with a deeper love for God but also powerful compassionate love for all his brothers and sisters. We are told that, although he was sick and weak, he longed to go back to serve the lepers and he also wanted to travel through the whole world telling of Christ’s supreme love for us all. In gazing upon the Lord nailed to the Cross, Francis glimpsed his overflowing goodness and love – and he felt compelled to be a servant and channel of that infinite, tender goodness poured out for our sake.

We too are called to gaze upon Jesus on the Cross so that we come to know the incredible power of God’s love for us - a love that held nothing back. The Cross is the highest proof of Christ’s love. Each one of us can say, with Saint Paul: “Christ loved me and gave himself for me!” And then inspired by that divine goodness we try to respond with the same generous love.

Read our Minister General's Letter on Eight Centenary of the Stigmata - www.ofm.org