...may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me,
Three days after the feast of the Holy Cross, Franciscans throughout the world remember the astonishing gift which Saint Francis received two years before he died: the painful wounds of Jesus in his hands, feet, and side. Only one friar, a nurse, knew of them because he hid them with rags. But one man, happening to touch his side accidentally, heard him yelp with severe pain.
Like every other grief, Francis received these miraculous signs of God's love with gratitude. They were not pleasant but they were good; and they led him into closer union with Jesus. Saint Bonaventure said they were seals of God's approval like the imprint of a signet ring on melted wax. As a sealed envelope carries an important message, Francis carried an important message in his life and suffering for the entire world.
Unlike the Poverello, Saint Paul spoke freely of his innumerable wounds which remained after many scourges and beatings. When the world looked with contempt on any kind of weakness, the Apostle announced that they were proofs of God's personal attention to those who suffer. He could also point to the contempt of Jews and gentiles for himself and his message; their hostility also proved his credibility since fallen humanity wants to hear nothing of the Gospel.
During a difficult time in my life I accepted that message and recognized depression as a severe and strict teacher who would teach me what I had failed to learn about myself. Depression proved that my way wasn't working; it told me I must forget many things that I took for granted, and attitudes I'd copied from others. They did not serve God and did not belong to me.
Loneliness, disappointment, boredom, and the contempt of others: all may serve as God's directives, and welcomed with gratitude.
Saint Francis, the wealthy young man, recognized Lady Poverty as a beautiful young widow who'd been forgotten, abandoned, and despised since Jesus died on the Cross. As his spouse, she taught him more about the One he loved, how to walk in his footsteps, and to carry his cross.
