Quote/s of the Day – 17 September – The Commutation of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi
“All I want to know is Christ and the power flowing from His Resurrection!”
“Jesus is happy to come with us, as Truth is happy to be spoken, as Life to be lived, as Light to be lit, as Love is to be loved, as Joy to be given, as Peace to be spread.”
“Remember, when you leave this earth, you can take nothing with you, which you have received, only that, which you have given.”
I Beg Thee, Lord By St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226)
I beg Thee, Lord, let the fiery, gentle power of Thy Love take possession of my soul and snatch it away, from everything under Heaven, that I may die, for love of Thy Love, as Thou saw fit, to die for love of mine! Amen
One Minute Reflection – 17 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Commutation of the Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi – Galatians 6:14-18 – Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24
REFLECTION – “In achieving the mystery of His Love, the Lord “took the form of a servant” and, for us, “deigned to humble Himself even to the death of the Cross” (Phil 2:8). He did this so that, through the lowliness which all could see, He might secretly achieve, for us, that hidden eminence amongst the dwellers of Heaven. Only realise, from what we first fell and you will become aware, that by the design of God’s Wisdom and Love, we are being refashioned for Life. In Adam, we fell through pride and, in Christ, we are humbled, that we may dissolve the sin of that ancient crime, by obedience to the opposite virtue. So, we who by proud conduct, have sinned, win approval by humble service.
Therefore, let us rejoice and glory in Him, Who made us both His battle and His victory, when He said: “Have confidence, for I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33) … He, Who is unconquered, will fight for us and conquer in us. Then the prince of this darkness shall be cast out (cf Jn 12:31). He is not, to be sure, expelled from the world but from the individual, for when faith enters us, we shut him out and provide a place for Christ…
Let orators keep their eloquence, philosophers their wisdom, rich men their wealth and kings their kingdoms. Christ is our Glory, Property and Kingdom! Our wisdom lies in the “foolishness of our preaching,” our strength, in the weakness of the flesh, our glory, in the stumbling block of the Cross (cf 1 Cor 1:21).” – St Paulinus of Nola (355-431) Bishop, Father of the Church (Letter 38:3-4.6).
PRAYER – O Lord, Jesus Christ, Who, to inflame our hearts with the fire of Thy love, when the world was becoming cold in spirit, renewed in the flesh of most blessed Francis, the sacred marks of Thine own Passion, graciously grant that by his merits and prayers, we may steadfastly carry our cross and bring forth worthy fruits of penance. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 17 September – The Feast of The Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi
The Stigmata of St Francis From the Liturgical Year, 1903 Feast Day – 17 September
St Francis Receives the Stigmata, by Giotto, 1295-1300; originally painted for the church of St Francis in Pisa, now in the Louvre. The predella panels show the vision of Pope Innocent III, who in a dream beheld St Francis holding up the collapsing Lateran Basilica, followed by the approval of the Franciscan Rule, and St Francis preaching to the birds.
The great Patriarch of Assisi will soon appear a second time in the holy Liturgy and we shall praise God for the marvels wrought in him by Divine Grace. The subject of today’s Feast, while a personal glory to St Francis, is of greater importance for its mystical signification.
The Man-God still lives in the Church by the continual reproduction of His Mysteries in this His Bride, making her a faithful copy of Himself. In the 13th Century, while the charity of the many had grown cold, the Divine Fire burned with redoubled ardour in the hearts of a chosen few. It was the hour of the Church’s passion; the beginning of that series of social defections, with their train of denials, treasons and derisions which ended in the proscription we now witness. The Cross had been exalted before the eyes of the world – the Bride was now to be nailed thereto with her Divine Spouse, after having stood with Him in the pretorium exposed to the insults and blows of the multitude.
Like an artist, selecting a precious marble, the Holy Ghost chose the flesh of the Assisian Seraph as the medium for the expression of His Divine Thought. He, thereby manifested to the world, the special direction He intended to give to the sanctity of souls; He offered to Heaven a first and complete model of the new work He was meditating, viz: the perfect union, upon the very Cross, of the Mystical Body with its Divine Head. Francis was the first to be chosen for this honour but others were to follow and, henceforward, here and there through the world, the Stigmata of Our Blessed Lord will ever be visible in the Church.
Let us read in this light the admirable history of the event composed by the Seraphic Doctor. St Bonaventure, in honour of his holy father St Francis.
Two years before the faithful servant and minister of Christ, Francis, gave up his spirit to God, he retired alone into a high place which is called Mount Alverna and began a forty-day fast in honour of the Archangel St Michael. The sweetness of heavenly contemplation was poured out on him more abundantly than usual, until, burning with the flame of celestial desires, he began to feel an increasing overflow of these Divine favours. While the seraphic ardour of his desires thus raised him up to God and the tenderness of his love and compassion, was transforming him into Christ, the Crucified Victim of excessive love.
One morning, about the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, as he was praying on the mountain side, he saw what appeared to be a Seraph, with six shining and fiery wings, coming down from Heaven. The vision flew swiftly through the air and approached the man of God, Who then perceived that it was not only winged but also Crucified; for the Hands and Feet were stretched out and fastened to a Cross; while the wings were arranged in a wondrous manner, two being raised above the head, two outstretched in flight and the remaining two crossed over and veiling the whole body. As he gazed, Francis was much astonished,and his soul was filled with mingled joy and sorrow. The gracious aspect of Him, Who appeared in so wonderful and loving a manner, gave Francis exceeding joy, while the sight of His cruel Crucifixion pierced his heart with a sword of sorrowing compassion.
He, who appeared outwardly to Francis, taught him inwardly that, although weakness and suffering are incompatible with the immortal life of a Seraph, yet this vision had been shown to him, to the end, that he, Christ’s lover, might learn how his whole being was to be transformed into a living Image of Christ Crucified, not by martyrdom of the flesh but by the burning ardour of his soul. After a mysterious and familiar colloquy, the Vision disappeared, leaving the Saint’s mind burning with Seraphic ardour and his flesh impressed with an exact image of the Crucified, as though, after the melting power of that fire, it had next been stamped with a seal. For immediately, the marks of nails began to appear in his hands and feet, their heads showing in the palms of his hands and the upper part of his feet and their points visible on the other side. There was also a red scar on his right side, as if it had been wounded by a lance and from which blood often flowed staining his tunic and underclothing.
Francis, now a new man, honoured by this new and amazing miracle and, by a hitherto unheard of privilege, adorned with the Sacred Stigmata, came down from the mountain bearing with him the Image of the Crucified, not carved in wood or stone by the hand of an artist but engraved upon his flesh by the Finger of the living God. The seraphic man well knew that it is good to hide the secret of the King; wherefore, having been thus admitted into His King’s confidence, he strove, as far as in him lay, to conceal the Sacred marks. But it belongs to God to reveal the great things which he himself has done and hence, after impressing those signs upon Francis in secret, He publicly worked miracles by means of them, revealing the hidden and wondrous power of the Stigmata. by the signs wrought through them.
Pope Benedict XI. willed that this wonderful event, which is so well attested and in Pontifical diplomas has been honoured with the greatest praises and favours, should be celebrated by a yearly solemnity. Afterwards, Pope Paul V., wishing the hearts of all the faithful to be enkindled with the love of Christ Crucified, extended the Feast to the whole Church.
Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi: Two years before the great Saint Francis of Assisi died and when he was forty-two years old — one year after he had built the first crib in honour of Our Lord — he went off to a lonely mountain called Mount Alvernia, to prepare himself by forty days of fasting and prayer for the feast of Saint Michael, the greatest of God’s angels, whose feast day is 29 September. On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on 14 September, Saint Francis received in his hands, feet and side the Sacred Wounds from Our Lord’s own body.
Never was a saint more beautifully loved by Jesus than Saint Francis of Assisi. The wounds Jesus gave him stayed in his hands, feet and side and continually bled for two more years, until he died in 1226. The day on which Saint Francis received the Five Wounds of Our Lord was 14 September but so, that this beautiful event might have a feast day for itself, the Stigmata of Saint Francis is commemorated today, on 17 September. The simple liturgy of this holy saint’s life might be put this way – the crib in 1223 and the Cross in 1224.
St Justin of Rome St Lambert (c 635-c 700) Bishop & Martyr St Narcissus of Rome St Peter Arbues St Rodingus St Satyrus of Milan St Socrates Bl Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary St Stephen St Theodora St Uni of Bremen St Zygmunt Sajna St Zygmunt Szcesny Felinski TOSF (1822-1895) His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/17/saint-of-the-day-17-september-saint-zygmunt-szcesny-felinski-1822-1895/ — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War • Blessed Álvaro Santos Cejudo Moreno Chocano • Blessed Juan Ventura Solsona • Blessed Timoteo Valero Pérez
Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi
Two years before the great Saint Francis of Assisi died and when he was forty-two years old — one year after he had built the first crib in honour of Our Lord — he went off to a lonely mountain called Mount Alvernia, to prepare himself by forty days of fasting and prayer for the feast of Saint Michael, the greatest of God’s angels, whose feast day is 29 September. On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on 14 September, Saint Francis received in his hands, feet and side the Sacred Wounds from Our Lord’s own body.
Never was a saint more beautifully loved by Jesus than Saint Francis of Assisi. The wounds Jesus gave him stayed in his hands, feet and side and continually bled for two more years, until he died in 1226. The day on which Saint Francis received the Five Wounds of Our Lord was 14 September but so, that this beautiful event might have a feast day for itself, the Stigmata of Saint Francis are commemorated today, on 17 September. The simple liturgy of this holy saint’s life might be put this way – the crib in 122, and the Cross in 1224.
St Justin of Rome
St Lambert of Maastricht
St Narcissus of Rome
St Peter Arbues
St Rodingus
St Satyrus of Milan
St Socrates
Bl Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary
St Stephen
St Theodora
St Uni of Bremen
St Zygmunt Sajna St Zygmunt Szcesny Felinski TOSF (1822-1895)
—
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War
• Blessed Álvaro Santos Cejudo Moreno Chocano
• Blessed Juan Ventura Solsona
• Blessed Timoteo Valero Pérez
Thought for the Day – 17 September 2018 – The Memorial of Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi & St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621)
The glory of the Saints and of the Church never ceases to amaze me in every finer detail of the arrangement of our communal life together with them, thus confirming the presence of the Holy Spirit and the Divinity of this Mystical Body of Christ!
St Robert Bellarmine had a great devotion to St Francis of Assisi and was especially devoted to honouring Francis’ stigmata. Bellarmine urged that there be a special feast in honour of the five stigmata of St Francis. Bellarmine had an important position in the Vatican and he made sure that the feast was introduced in the Church, despite strong opposition.
As Providence arranged, Robert Bellarmine died on the feast of the Stigmata of St Francis, 17 September. And in the revised liturgical calendar St Bellarmine’s feast, which used to be celebrated on 13 May, has been moved to 17 September. In the Universal Church today is the feast of both!
St Francis of Assisi and St Robert Bellarmine, pray for us, your family here on earth and in great need of your prayers!
St Agathoclia
AnaStpaul 
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