Objectives of Session 2:
1) Become familiar with the life of St Francis of Assisi
2) Recognize what makes the stigmata of St Francis different from all others
3) Become familiar with the life of St Padre Pio
Listen online [here]!
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Adult
Formation Series - The Stigmatic Saints
St
Francis of Assisi and St Padre Pio
Corpus Christi Catholic Parish
I. Review
of Last Week: In this series, we will consider the mysterious gift of the
stigmata.
Three
sessions:
September 4 – What are the
“stigmata”? Introduction to the Course
September 11 – The stigmata in St
Francis of Assisi and St Padre Pio
September 18 – Other stigmatic
saints and what the stigmata mean for us
A. Visible and invisible
stigmata: Invisible more than visible. Feeling of shame.
B. Stigmata, Transverberation,
mortification, mystical union.
C. Details and statistics:
1. Stigmatics receive other gifts
(visions, levitation, inedia)
2. About 400 cases of stigmata,
more than 62 beatified, over 80% women.
3. First, St Francis (1224).
First priest, Padre Pio (1918).
D. Medical research: no putrefaction,
no healing, bound to remove self-infliction.
II. The
two most extraordinary stigmatic saints are St Francis of Assisi and St Padre
Pio. Unlikely, since they are both men, and female stigmatists outnumber males
7 to 1. Likewise, both were clerics which is exceptional among stigmatics.
A. St Francis of Assisi: Franciscan
founder, deacon, 1182-1226. First stigmatist.
B. St Padre Pio: Franciscan
friar/priest, 1887-1968. First stigmatic priest.
III. St
Francis of Assisi: Founder of the Franciscan Order, Patron of Europe
A. Brief overview of his life,
1181/2 – 1226. Feast, October 4th. Assisi, Italy. Born to a textile
merchant, served as a soldier. After illness, conversion and love of the poor
and of lepers. Spoke with animals, life of intense penance. Received the
stigmata on or about the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in 14 September
1224 (Feast of Stigmata, September 17th). Dies at the age of 44.
B. The reception of the stigmata:
After a period of fasting and prayer (forty days) leading up to the feast of St
Michael the Archangel (September 29th), on Mount Alvernia with only
Brother Leo present.
From St Bonaventure: “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 the man of God, 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 Francis saw this, 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
appearance of a seraph, but the fact that he was fastened to a cross pierced his
soul with a sword of compassionate sorrow (Luke 2:35).”
From Thomas of Celano: “Francis
wondered anxiously what this vision could mean…as his understanding sought in
vain for an explanation and his heart was filled with perplexity…the marks of
nails began to appear in his hands and feet.”
C. The wonderous appearance of
the nails: “For upon his hands and feet began immediately to appear the figures
of the nails, as he had seen them on the Body of Christ crucified, who had
appeared to him in the likeness of a seraph. And thus the hands and feet
appeared pierced through the midst by the nails, the heads whereof were seen
outside the flesh in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, and the
points of the nails stood out at the back of the hands, and the feet in such
wise that they appeared to be twisted and bent back upon themselves, and the
portion thereof that was bent back upon themselves, and the portion thereof
that was bent back or twisted stood out free from the flesh, so that one could
put a finger through the same as through a ring; and the heads of the nails
were round and black. In like manner, on the right side appeared the image of
an unhealed wound, as if made by a lance, and still red and bleeding, from
which drops of blood often flowed from the holy breast of St Francis, staining
his tunic.”
D. St Francis strove to bring the
historical reality of Christ’s life to be present to the people of today. The
Nativity Creche and Christmas miracle (1223, Grecio). The Stations of the
Cross. The stigmata may be understood in this light – Francis makes the Passion
present in his own body.
IV. St
Pius of Pietrelcina, Padre Pio: Franciscan Friar, miracle worker
A. A brief overview of his life,
1887-1968. Feast, September 23rd. San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Born
Francesco Forgione, to a pious family: Daily Mass, the daily Rosary, abstained
from meat Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Age 5, personal dedication of his
life to God. From childhood, constantly afflicted with illnesses. From
childhood, regularly experienced visions and ecstasies (especially, our Lord,
our Lady, and his Guardian Angel with whom he regularly spoke). Entered
Franciscan Capuchin Order in 1903 at age of 15 – taking the name Pio in honor
of St Pius I whose relic was in Pietrelcina. Despite many health problems and
delays, was ordained a priest 1910. Still many health problems, and often had
to live with family outside of community life – lived in San Giovanni Rotondo
from 1916 to +1968. Brief military service (WWI), but discharged due to poor
health. Received the stigmata 20 September 1918, carried these wounds for 50
years. Many other miracles: reading souls (confessions as much as 16 hours a
day), levitation, bilocation, inedia, healings, visions, etc. A life of much
trial as well, and suspicion even from the Vatican (in particular, from
1921-1933 and again under Pope St John XXIII) – forbidden at times from hearing
confessions, from offering public Mass, from preaching.
B. Spiritual points from Padre
Pio: The Mass (would take as much as 3 hours), the Rosary (over 30 times a day,
“Recite the Rosary, recite it always and as much as you can!”), trust in God
(Pray, Hope, Don’t Worry), the poor souls in purgatory, etc.
C. The reception of the stigmata.
1. Prior to 20 September 1918: In
1911, “Then last night something happened which I can neither explain nor
understand. In the middle of the palms of my hands a red mark appeared, about
the size of a penny, accompanied by acute pain in the middle of the red marks.
The pain was more pronounced in the middle of the left hand, so much so that I
can still feel it. Also under my feet I can feel some pain.” Also stated that
he felt at times the pains of the crowning and the scourging.
Transverberation: In July 1918,
Padre Pio offered himself as a victim soul for the end of the War. On 5 August
1918: “While I was hearing the boys’ confessions on the evening of the 5th
[August] I was suddenly terrorized by the sight of a celestial person who
presented himself to my mind’s eye. He had in his hand a sort of weapon like a
very long sharp-pointed steel blade which seemed to emit fire. At the very
instant that I saw all this, I saw that person hurl the weapon into my soul
with all his might. I cried out with difficulty and felt I was dying. I asked
the boy to leave because I felt ill and no longer had the strength to continue.
This agony lasted uninterruptedly until the morning of the 7th. I cannot tell
you how much I suffered during this period of anguish. Even my entrails were
torn and ruptured by the weapon, and nothing was spared. From that day on I
have been mortally wounded. I feel in the depths of my soul a wound that is
always open and which causes me continual agony.” This left a visible wound
which bled.
2. 20 September 1918: “On the
morning of the 20th of last month, in the choir, after I had celebrated Mass I
yielded to a drowsiness similar to a sweet sleep. [...] I saw before me a
mysterious person similar to the one I had seen on the evening of 5 August. The
only difference was that his hands and feet and side were dripping blood. This
sight terrified me and what I felt at that moment is indescribable. I thought I
should have died if the Lord had not intervened and strengthened my heart which
was about to burst out of my chest. The vision disappeared and I became aware
that my hands, feet and side were dripping blood. Imagine the agony I
experienced and continue to experience almost every day. The heart wound bleeds
continually, especially from Thursday evening until Saturday. Dear Father, I am
dying of pain because of the wounds and the resulting embarrassment I feel deep
in my soul. I am afraid I shall bleed to death if the Lord does not hear my
heartfelt supplication to relieve me of this condition. Will Jesus, who is so
good, grant me this grace? Will he at least free me from the embarrassment
caused by these outward signs? I will raise my voice and will not stop
imploring him until in his mercy he takes away, not the wound or the pain,
which is impossible since I wish to be inebriated with pain, but these outward
signs which cause me such embarrassment and unbearable humiliation....the pain
was so intense that I began to feel as if I were dying on the cross.”
V.
Medical Study of the Stigmata of Padre Pio
A. The wounds of Padre Pio’s
stigmata: Continuous from 1918 till just before his death in 1968, they
gradually disappeared in the weeks before his death and left no scars.
1. The wounds exhibited no
putrefaction, smelled like roses, did not heal when treated.
2. Padre Pio had surgery twice,
which left usual scaring – but not his stigmata wounds.
3. Had blood work in the 1950s,
and all was normal (except that there was a rose smell).
B. Padre Pio’s comments: Once,
when asked if the wounds hurt he replied, “Do you think the Good Lord gave them
to me for decoration?” And when certain people suggested that the stigmata were
caused by too much concentration on Christ’s Passion, he replied, “Go out to
the fields and look very closely at a bull. Concentrate on him with all your
might and see if you start to grow horns.”
C. Thousands and thousands of
witnesses over many years.
D. Medical examinations: Three in
1919, most particularly Dr Amico Bignami (atheist). In July, Bignami believed
that the wounds were caused partly by psychological suggestion and partly by
use of chemicals (iodine, though others later have proposed carbolic acid)
