# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for the Impression of the Sacred Stigmata
# of St. Francis (Sep 17). Sourced directly from
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/09-17.txt, English/Sancti/09-17.txt --
# Lectio4-6, St. Bonaventure's own Legenda of St. Francis (ch. 13),
# combined into one reading. No Lectio7-9 own content (a direct
# `@Commune/C2:LectioN in 2 loco` cross-reference) -- not transcribed,
# per the bare-cross-reference convention.
id: stigmata-of-st-francis
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Bonaventure, Legenda of St. Francis, ch. 13"
    text:
      la: >-
        Fidelis revera famulus et minister Christi, Franciscus, biennio
        antequam spíritum redderet cælo, cum in loco excélso seorsum, qui
        mons Alverniæ dícitur, quadragenárium ad honórem Archangeli
        Michaélis jejunium inchoasset, supernæ contemplatiónis dulcédine
        abundantius sólito superfusus ac cæléstium desideriórum ardentiori
        flamma succénsus, supernárum cœpit immissiónum cumulatius dona
        sentire. Dum ígitur seráphicis desideriórum ardóribus sursum
        agerétur in Deum, et afféctus compassiva teneritúdine in eum
        transformarétur, cui ex caritate nimia crucifigi complácuit;
        quodam mane circa festum Exaltatiónis sanctæ Crucis, in látere
        montis orans, vidit quasi spéciem uníus Séraphim, sex alas tam
        fúlgidas quam ignítas habentem, de cælórum sublimitate
        descendere. Qui, volatu celerrimo ad áëris locum viro Dei
        propinquum perveniens, non solum alatus, sed et crucifixus
        appáruit; manus quidem et pedes habens extensos et cruci affixos,
        alas vero sic miro modo hinc inde dispositas, ut duas supra caput
        erigeret, duas ad volándum extenderet, duabus vero réliquis totum
        corpus circumplecténdo velaret. Hoc videns veheménter obstupuit,
        mixtumque dolori gáudium mens ejus incurrit, dum et in gratióso
        ejus aspectu, sibi tam mirabíliter quam familiáriter apparentis,
        excessivam quamdam concipiebat lætítiam, et dira conspecta crucis
        affixio ipsíus ánimam compassívi dolóris gládio pertransívit.


        Intelléxit quidem, illo docénte interius qui et apparebat
        exterius, quod, licet passiónis infirmitas cum immortalitate
        spíritus seráphici nullátenus conveníret, ideo tamen hujusmodi
        visio suis fuerat præsentáta conspéctibus, ut amícus ipse Christi
        prænosceret, se, non per martyrium carnis sed per incendium
        mentis, totum in Christi Jesu crucifixi expressam similitúdinem
        transformándum. Dispárens ítaque visio, post arcanum ac
        familiare collóquium, mentem ipsíus seráphico interius inflammávit
        ardore; carnem vero Crucifixo conformi exterius insignívit
        effigie, tamquam si ad ignis liquefactivam virtútem præámbulam
        sigillativa quædam esset impréssio subsecuta. Statim namque in
        mánibus et pédibus ejus apparere cœpérunt signa clavórum, ipsórum
        capítibus in inferióri parte mánuum et superiori pedum
        apparéntibus, et eórum acumínibus exsisténtibus ex adverso.
        Dextrum quoque latus, quasi lancea transfixum, rubra cicatrice
        obductum erat, quod sæpe, sánguinem sacrum effúndens, túnicam et
        femoralia respergebat.


        Postquam ígitur novus homo Franciscus novo et stupéndo miraculo
        cláruit, cum singulari privilegio retroactis sæculis non
        concesso insignítus appáruit, sacris vidélicet Stigmátibus
        decoratus, descéndit de monte secum ferens Crucifixi effigiem,
        non in tábulis lapídeis vel ligneis manu figuratam artíficis, sed
        in carneis membris descriptam digito Dei vivi. Quóniam
        sacraméntum regis seráphicus vir abscóndere bonum esse optime
        norat, secreti regalis cónscius, signácula illa sacra pro
        víribus occultábat. Verum, quia Dei est ad glóriam suam magna
        revelare quæ facit, Dóminus ipse, qui signácula illa secrete
        impresserat, miracula quædam aperte per ipsa monstrávit; ut
        illórum occúlta et mira vis Stígmatum manifesta patéret
        claritáte signórum. Rem admirábilem ac tantopere testatam atque
        in pontificiis diplomátibus præcipuis laudibus et favóribus
        exáltatam, Benedíctus Papa undecimus anniversaria solemnitate
        celebrari vóluit; quam póstea Paulus quintus Pontifex maximus, ut
        corda fidelium in Christi crucifixi accenderéntur amórem, ad
        universam Ecclésiam propagávit.
      en: >-
        Francis being indeed a faithful servant and minister of Christ,
        about the space of two years before he gave back his spirit to
        heaven, withdrew himself into an high mountain apart, even that
        mountain which is called Mount Alverno, and began to fast for
        forty days to the honour of the Archangel Michael. To think of
        the things above gave him sweeter comfort than beforetime he was
        wont, and the hot longing for heaven was kindled in him, so that
        he began to feel that the gifts from above were poured forth
        upon him in such fulness as he had never felt before. The
        burning of his desire made his heart rise towards God like the
        heart of a seraph, and his tender answering love yearned to be
        changed into the likeness of Him Who hath so loved us that He
        was content to bear the Cross. And it was so that one morning
        early, about the time of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy
        Cross, he was praying upon the side of the mountain, and there
        appeared unto him as it had been one of the Seraphim, having six
        wings, glorious and fiery, flying to him from heaven. It came
        therefore very swiftly, and stood in the air, hard by the man of
        God. He beheld then the appearance thereof that it was not
        winged only, but crucified also. His hands and feet were
        stretched forth and nailed to a Cross. Twain of his wings were
        lifted up and joined one to the other over his head, and twain
        were stretched forth to fly withal, and with twain he wrapped
        around his body. When Francis saw it, he was sore amazed, and
        his soul was filled with sorrow and gladness, for the eyes of
        him that appeared were full of strange love and tenderness, so
        that he conceived great rejoicing thereat, but the nailing to
        the Cross was so exceedingly dreadful, that as he saw it, a
        sword of sorrow pierced his soul.


        Then He Whom he beheld with his bodily eyes, began to speak
        silently unto him in his heart, and he understood that albeit
        the deathless Seraphim cannot suffer or faint, this vision was
        nevertheless therefore set before him, that he might know that
        as a friend of Christ he was to be all changed into the likeness
        of Christ Jesus crucified, not by the martyrdom of the body, but
        by the fervour of the soul. Then they held together some sweet
        converse, as of a man with his friend, and the vision passed
        from him, but his heart was kindled inwardly with the fire of
        the Seraphim, and his body was outwardly changed into the
        likeness of Him Who was crucified, even as wax is softened by
        the fire and taketh the impression of the seal. From thenceforth
        there were in his hands and feet the marks of the nails. The
        heads of the nails were seen in the palms of his hands and on
        the insteps of his feet, and the points came out on the backs
        of his hands and the soles of his feet. In his right side also
        was a long raw wound, as though he had been pierced with a
        spear, from which wound his holy blood oftentimes ran and
        stained his shirt and breeches.


        Thereafter Francis was a new creature, famous for a new and
        awful sign. The holy marks of the Lord Jesus, whereon living man
        for twelve centuries had not been allowed to look, were his
        adornment. He came down from the mount bearing in himself the
        form of Jesus Crucified, not portrayed upon tables of stone or
        wood by the hand of any earthly craftsman, but drawn upon his
        flesh by the finger of the living God. The dying Seraph knew
        well that it is good to keep close the secret of a king, and
        knowing the secret of his King, he strove as far as in him lay
        to keep the sacred marks hidden from men. Nevertheless, forasmuch
        as it is the will of the Lord God for His Own glory to make
        manifest the greatness of His Own works, He openly showed forth
        diverse wonders through these wounds which He had Himself made
        in secret, so that the hidden and wondrous power of the marks
        might become known by the fame of the miracles. The foregoing
        marvellous but thoroughly witnessed facts, which were already
        spoken of in Papal documents with especial praise and joy, were
        made, by the pleasure of Pope Benedict XI, the subject of a
        yearly memorial, which was afterwards extended by Paul V. to the
        whole Church, in the hope of fanning in the hearts of the
        faithful the love of Christ Crucified.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
