Saint Francis of Assisi, particularly the miraculous event of his stigmata, reveals one of the most profound moments in the life of this great saint and Confessor of the Church.
The Life of St. Francis
St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182 – 1226) is one of the most beloved saints in Catholic tradition, known for his radical embrace of poverty, humility, and love for all of God’s creation. Born into a wealthy merchant family in Assisi, Italy, Francis renounced his worldly possessions after a conversion experience in his youth. He founded the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), setting an example of living the Gospel through simplicity and penance.
His deep humility, coupled with his desire to imitate Christ fully, set the stage for one of the most extraordinary occurrences in Christian mystical history.
The Event of the Stigmata
The stigmata of St. Francis is believed to have occurred in 1224, two years before his death, while he was in prayer and contemplation on Mount La Verna. At this time, Francis was in a profound state of union with God, seeking greater conformity with Christ, especially in His suffering.
According to his hagiographers, while praying intensely during a 40-day fast in preparation for the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, St. Francis received a vision of a seraph, a six-winged angel, who bore the image of the Crucified Christ. As the vision unfolded, St. Francis felt an overwhelming sense of both divine love and sorrow, reflecting the passion of Christ. At the same time, he was miraculously imprinted with the marks of the wounds of Christ—the stigmata—on his hands, feet, and side.
The Significance of the Stigmata
St. Francis is the first recorded person in Christian history to receive the stigmata, making him a unique figure among mystics. The wounds themselves were physical representations of the five wounds of Christ:
• The nail marks in both hands and feet.
• The wound in his side, similar to the lance wound inflicted upon Christ during His crucifixion.His stigmata became a powerful sign of his profound unity with Christ’s passion, demonstrating his call to live and suffer as Christ did. This event was witnessed by several companions of St. Francis, including Brother Leo, who attested to the authenticity of the marks.
Witnesses and Accounts
The primary biographer of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, wrote extensively about the stigmata in his Legenda Maior (Major Life of St. Francis), a highly regarded source of Franciscan hagiography. Another biographer, Thomas of Celano, also described the event in vivid detail, ensuring that this miracle became widely known throughout Christendom.
The stigmata were not just a personal experience for Francis but a visible testimony to others of the sanctity and the deep mystical connection he had with Christ. His contemporaries, including Pope Gregory IX (who canonized Francis in 1228), regarded the stigmata as undeniable proof of divine favor.
Spiritual Meaning
For the faithful, the stigmata of St. Francis serves as a reminder of the call to holiness through suffering, humility, and imitation of Christ. It highlights the mystical truth that the closer a soul draws to God, the more it shares in His redemptive suffering for the salvation of the world.
The stigmata also reflects the Church’s understanding of the imago Christi, where saints, through their sanctity and sacrifice, bear Christ’s image physically and spiritually, becoming living reflections of His love and redemptive work.
Legacy
The stigmata remained with St. Francis until his death in 1226, and his body bore these marks as a lasting sign of his mystical union with the Crucified Christ. Over the centuries, the image of the stigmatized St. Francis has inspired countless souls to pursue a deeper, more sacrificial relationship with God.
The feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis is celebrated on September 17 in the traditional liturgical calendar, honoring this unique grace bestowed upon him. His life and the extraordinary event of his stigmata continue to inspire the Franciscan movement and the broader Catholic Church to this day.