The Imprinting of the Holy Stigmata: Bearing Christs Marks in Our Lives

The Miracle of Mount La Verna

On September 14, 1224, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, something extraordinary happened on Mount La Verna in Italy. Saint Francis of Assisi, after forty days of prayer and fasting, received a vision of a six-winged seraph bearing the crucified Christ. As this heavenly vision faded, Francis discovered that his own body now bore the sacred wounds of our Lord - the stigmata. His hands and feet carried the marks of the nails, and his side bore the wound of the lance.

The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:17, "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Francis became the first recorded person in Church history to receive these visible signs of Christ's passion. But this miracle was not merely a supernatural phenomenon - it was the culmination of a life completely surrendered to Christ crucified.

The stigmata appeared on Francis's body because Christ had already been imprinted on his soul. For over twenty years, Francis had been conforming himself to the image of the suffering Savior. The physical marks were simply the outward manifestation of an inward reality that had been growing within him through years of prayer, penance, and perfect obedience to the Gospel.

The Transformation Before the Marks

The stigmata did not appear on Francis by accident. They were the fruit of a profound spiritual transformation that began when he first heard Christ speak to him from the crucifix at San Damiano: "Francis, go and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin."

Paul declares in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." This was Francis's daily reality. He had died to his former life of wealth and worldly pleasure. He embraced Lady Poverty as his bride, choosing to live as Christ lived - without possessions, without comfort, without the securities that the world offers.

Francis spent countless hours in prayer before crucifixes, meditating on Christ's passion. He would weep over the sufferings of his Lord, asking repeatedly, "What are You, my God, and what am I, Your poor little worm?" This deep contemplation of Christ's sacrifice gradually transformed Francis from within. He began to walk like Christ, serve like Christ, and love like Christ.

The transformation was so complete that his companions often said they could see Christ in Francis's very countenance. Before the physical stigmata appeared, Francis already bore the spiritual stigmata - the marks of Christ's character imprinted on his soul through years of faithful discipleship.

The Cross as Our Glory

Francis understood what Paul meant when he wrote in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." While others sought honor and recognition, Francis found his glory in sharing Christ's sufferings.

He embraced lepers when society shunned them. He rebuilt churches with his own hands when others ignored their decay. He preached to birds and wolves because all creation belonged to his heavenly Father. Most remarkably, he rejoiced in persecution and hardship, seeing them as opportunities to share more fully in Christ's passion.

Francis called suffering "perfect joy" because it united him more closely to his crucified Lord. When he was beaten, rejected, or misunderstood, he would thank God for allowing him to experience what Christ experienced. This was not masochism or unhealthy self-hatred - it was the profound love of a disciple who wanted to be as much like his Master as possible.

The cross became Francis's glory because he understood that it was through the cross that Christ saved the world. If we are to be instruments of God's grace, we too must be willing to be broken and poured out for others, just as Christ was broken and poured out for us.

Bearing Invisible Stigmata

While few of us will receive the visible stigmata as Francis did, all Christians are called to bear the invisible stigmata - the spiritual marks of Christ crucified in our daily lives. These marks should be evident to those around us through our actions, attitudes, and priorities.

The stigmata of the hands means that our work, whatever it may be, should reflect Christ's love and service. Whether we're caring for children, serving customers, or leading meetings, our hands should bear the marks of One who came not to be served, but to serve.

The stigmata of the feet means that our path through life should follow in Christ's footsteps. We should walk toward those whom society rejects, just as Jesus walked toward tax collectors, sinners, and outcasts. Our feet should carry us to places of service and sacrifice, not merely to places of comfort and convenience.

The stigmata of the side, where the soldier's lance pierced Christ's heart, means that our hearts should be broken open with love for God and neighbor. We should feel the pain of others' suffering and respond with compassion, just as Christ's heart was moved with compassion for the multitudes.

These invisible stigmata are formed in us through prayer, through acts of mercy, through choosing sacrifice over selfishness, and through daily dying to our own will in order to embrace God's will.

The Question That Convicts

This brings us to the searching question that should examine every Christian heart: Can people see that we have been crucified with Christ? When our family members, coworkers, and neighbors observe our lives, do they see evidence that we belong to the Crucified One?

Francis's stigmata were unmistakable - everyone who saw him knew that he bore Christ's marks. But our spiritual stigmata should be equally evident, though in different ways. Do people see in us the humility of Christ, who made himself of no reputation? Do they see the love of Christ, who laid down his life for his friends? Do they see the forgiveness of Christ, who prayed for those who crucified him?

The world is watching the Church, looking for authentic disciples who truly bear the marks of their Master. They're not impressed by our buildings, our programs, or our eloquent words. They're looking for people who have been genuinely transformed by the cross of Christ.

Let us examine ourselves honestly. Are we bearing the invisible stigmata of Christ in our daily lives? Are we living crucified lives that point others to the Savior? Like Saint Francis, may we be so conformed to Christ that others can see his marks upon us - not necessarily in our flesh, but certainly in our character, our choices, and our love.

May the Lord grant us the grace to bear his stigmata spiritually, that through our lives, others might come to know the love of Christ crucified. Amen.-F.D.