# 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. # # Checked 2026-09-05 for a missing Gospel pairing: unlike the other # files revisited in this pass, this day genuinely has no saint-proper # Nocturn 3 Gospel+homily at all -- Lectio7-9 is a bare cross-reference # to the whole Common of a Confessor Bishop "in 2 loco" (its second # occurrence within that Common), not a citation tied to this feast. # There's nothing saint-specific to pair a Gospel with here; the # Common's own generic Gospel is a separate, shared text out of scope # for this per-saint store. No Gospel entry added. 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 }