September 17, 2024, is the 800th anniversary of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Francis, while in solitude on Mount La Verna, “saw a Seraph with six fiery and shining wings descend from the height of heaven…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… 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 form of a Seraph, but the fact that he was fastened to a cross pierced his soul with a sword of compassionate sorrow.”
(Life of Saint Francis by Saint Bonaventure)
On April 5, 2024, Pope Francis joined celebrations of the 800th anniversary in La Verna and offered the following prayer:
May our wounds be healed by the heart of Christ to become, like you, witnesses of his mercy, which continues to heal and renew the life of those who seek him with a sincere heart. O Francis, made to resemble the Crucified One, let your stigmata be for us and for the world resplendent signs of life and resurrection, to show new ways of peace and reconciliation.
