Read all three chapters several times. (The Second Book starts on page 258 of the link.)
Because the focus of this study is the Stigmata, it is tempting to concentrate on chapter three, which gives the details of Francis receiving the wounds of Christ. Chapter two, however, sets the scene and defines the conditions that make the receiving of the stigmata possible, so it will be the focus of this reflection.
Please reread chapter two several times, and then focus on this paragraph.
“Raising from prayer in a spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, he prepared himself with the sign of the holy cross. He took the book from the altar and opened it with reverence and fear. When he opened the book, the first passage that met his eye was the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ that tells of the suffering he was to endure. To avoid any suspicion that this was just a coincidence, he opened the book a second and a third time. Every time he found either the same text or one that was similar. This man filled with the spirit of God then understood that he would have to enter into the kingdom of God through many trials, difficulties and struggles.”
Think back to Lent and Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, the gospel reading for the Mass is the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Year A is Matthew’s version, year B Mark’s, and year C Luke’s. On Good Friday, the gospel reading is the Passion according to John. If you are fully participating in the Holy Week liturgies, then you hear the Passion at least twice. If you are concentrating on making your Lenten experience complete, you probably read all four versions at least once if not multiple times.
Take a moment to recall your reaction to reading the various Passions. What was the overarching lesson that you took from them?
If you are like me, you find yourself concentrating on the Love and Sacrifice of Christ. Jesus endures His Passion in order that the path of salvation might be opened to all despite our unworthiness. This is a supreme act of unfettered Love unequaled anywhere else in the history of Creation. Only God could Love so completely and purely. The triumph of Jesus is rightfully and joyfully celebrated not just on Easter Sunday, but throughout the entire Easter season. If we are lucky, that joy carries throughout the entire liturgical year, always present, always overlaying every other gospel lesson with the foundational joy that comes from being so thoroughly loved, desired, and cherished by our Merciful God despite our propensity for sin.
This is a valid and uplifting take. Nothing wrong with it. It is generally the focus of the season and the take the Church wants us to come away with.
But, as this quoted paragraph from Celano proves, it is not the only take. Contrast the typical focus of Easter with how Francis reacts to encountering the Passion in this paragraph. Francis does not speak about Love and Sacrifice. Instead, he focuses on what the Passion of Christ means for how his individual life must inevitably unfold.
Yes, the path of salvation is opened. The euphoria of the Easter season makes it tempting to believe that Jesus has done all the hard work. It would be easy to conclude that the journey along this path will be pleasant and easy, nothing but sunshine and butterflies.
But here Francis has recognized the hard and perhaps uncomfortable truth revealed by the “trials, difficulties and struggles” that Jesus had to endure to make eternal bliss in heaven in union with God possible. The suffering of Jesus was real. It was not just unpleasant, but horrific. It would be the height of ingratitude for anyone to journey along the path of salvation without keeping the misery and anguish of Jesus omnipresent as part of that journey.
Francis acknowledges and reveals the depth of the consequences of the Passion and translates them into a concrete realization about what shape his life (and mine?) must inevitably take. If Christ had to experience the agony and woe of the Passion for the way to salvation to be opened, it is only just that Francis experience something similar as he journeys along the way that Christ opened for Him. Check the last sentence of the paragraph again to see if you agree:
“This man filled with the spirit of God then understood that he would have to enter into the kingdom of God through many trials, difficulties and struggles.”
As we saw in the first lesson in this series, this reality was lived out by Lazarus, close friend and disciple of Jesus in the flesh. It held true for the eleven apostles and so many other saints down through the ages who were martyred on their way to salvation. We will see in the next lesson just how intensely true it turned out to be for a saint the caliber of Francis.
How could it not also be true for me?
At the beginning of chapter two, in preparation for this revelation, Francis distances himself from the world and diligently seeks the Will of God. It is only after much time spent in silent prayer and yearning for union with God that Francis acquires the “spirit of humility with a contrite heart” that makes him prepared to open the gospels and accept whatever it is they will reveal.
- What does this say about the importance of and links between the charisms of Prayer and Poverty within the Franciscan experience?
Francis “was not disturbed by oncoming battles.” “He was not afraid that he would yield to the enemy.” “He remained undisturbed and happy.” He accepted unequivocally that the Passion of Jesus would translate into his own “trials, difficulties and struggles” as a prerequisite “to entering the kingdom of God.”
- Have you ever thought about the Passion in these terms before? If so, how has this shaped your Franciscan journey? If not, how are you reacting to this revelation now? What adjustments do you need to make to the expectations you have for the unfolding of the balance of your earthly journey? Are you prepared to maintain your belief in both Jesus and St. Francis no matter the hardships that God may place before you?
OFS Ongoing 
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