Love Crucified

Homily for the Feast of the Stigmata of Our Father Francis

The stigmatization of St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most profound and mysterious events in Christian mysticism—a moment where spiritual devotion, physical suffering, and divine intimacy collided in a way that still captivates believers and historians alike.

In September, 1224, while praying in solitude on Mount La Verna, St. Francis reportedly received the stigmata—the five wounds of Christ—during a vision of a seraphic figure crucified. This was the first recorded instance of such a phenomenon in Christian history. According to Brother Leo, who was present, Francis bore black nail-like marks in his hands and feet, and a wound in his side that bled frequently.

The Stigmata teaches us several things about St. Francis. First, it emphasizes the radical imitation of Francis and the centrality of the Cross in his life style. Francis didn’t just preach Christ—he embodied Him. The stigmata is seen as divine confirmation of his total identification with the suffering Christ. The first biography of St. Francis by Brother Thomas tells us that Francis dwelled upon two things in his meditations during his prayer – the humility of his birth and the charity of the Passion.

The vision of a crucified seraph and the wounds that were impressed upon his body speak to Francis’ mystical union with God, where Francis’s physical body became a canvas for divine love and sacrifice. These marks were seen by the brothers on several occasions. His constant mortification of his body tells us that he not only pondered the mystery of the Passion but also tried to live it physically.

The stigmata also speaks to the desire for hidden holiness. Francis was known for his humility, a virtue that is highlighted in many of the biographies of this saint. Despite the miraculous nature of the wounds, Francis tried to conceal them, emphasizing humility over spectacle. Because we know that he pondered the Gospels throughout his life, Francis would have known intimately the fact that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Francis spent every afternoon contemplating the mystery of Christ’s passion. Through that contemplation, he came to recognize that when Jesus was crucified, it was love that was crucified as well. In every Eucharist, we recall love crucified – God’s love for us on display, as it were, for all to see and emulate.