St. Francis’ Stigmata: Conformity to Christ’s Passion – Sep 17 – Homily – Fr Matthias

 

Fr Matthias gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Sep 17, 2024, and reflects on St. Francis’ Stigmata and teaches that, like Christ, we are called to voluntarily embrace suffering out of love, even when it hurts.

Father speaks on the significance of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi, commemorated every September 17th by Franciscans. This year marks the 800th anniversary of St. Francis receiving the Stigmata in 1224. St. Francis, deeply desiring conformity to Christ throughout his life, was granted this in an extraordinary and visible way through the Stigmata, a rare spiritual experience where wounds of Christ’s crucifixion appeared on his body. Despite the constant pain these wounds caused, especially when he used his hands, walked, or had the bandages changed, St. Francis welcomed this suffering, continuing to desire conformity to Christ.

Father connects St. Francis’ experience to St. Paul's teaching in Colossians 1:24 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/1?24, where we "fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ." He explains that Christ, as the head of the mystical body, suffered voluntarily, and so must His followers—the members—embrace suffering as part of their path to holiness. This voluntary suffering is a form of love, as demonstrated by both Christ and St. Francis. Even when conformity to Christ brings pain, we are called to embrace it with love and turn to Our Lady, who stood at the foot of the cross, as a model of how to suffer with grace and acceptance.

Further Reading:
Colossians 1: 24 NAB - St. Paul on filling up Christ's sufferings - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/1?24
CCC 618 - Participation in Christ's Suffering - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/618.htm
CCC 2015 - The call to suffering and holiness - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2015.htm
CCC 1508 - Redemptive Suffering - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1508.htm
Catholic Answers - God’s Love for You - https://www.catholic.com/tract/gods-love-for-you

00:00 - Introduction and Greeting
00:07 - Commemoration of St. Francis' Stigmata
00:23 - The Stigmata of 1224
00:32 - St. Francis' Desire for Conformity
00:50 - The Pain of the Stigmata
01:55 - St. Francis' Willingness to Suffer
02:29 - Understanding Christ's Suffering
03:33 - Embracing Suffering with Faith

Ave Maria!

Mass: Stigmata of St. Francis - Feast - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14294b.htm
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091724.cfm
1st: gal 6:14-18
Resp: gal 2:16, 20
Gsp: luk 9:23-26

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=709

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