Hi, I'm Edward Sree, and welcome to all things Catholic Catholic where real faith meets real life.

Hi and welcome to the special edition of all things Catholic this week in the

Catholic Church Franciscan friars and sisters from around the world are

celebrating the feast of the stigmata of St Francis. It happens every year in September 17th where the Franciscans

remember that great event when Francis received the marks of Christ in his body,

the Stigmata. But what is the stigmaa? Why do some Saints and

mystics receive the stigma and what difference does that make for my spiritual life today?

That's what we're going to look at in this special edition, which was

recorded outside in the Tuscan countryside last year after my visit to Leverna

Italy where Francis received the stigmata.

Hi, today I am walking on a beautiful evening here in the Tuskin countryside here in Italy, and I just had the chance to come down from Mount

Leverna today now I don't know if you know about Mount Leverna but it's a very

significant place in the life of St. Francis of a place where he did a lot of

prayer and fasting but most of all it's where he received

the stigmata.

And that's what I want to talk about with you.

You've ever heard about the stigmata?

Some saints and mystics receiving these bodily marks of pain and suffering

participating in the sufferings of Jesus Christ? What is the significance of the

stigmata? What is it? How did it work? And theologically, why might some

saints and mystics be drawn into Christ's sufferings in this unique way? Most of all, I want to share

with you what difference does this make for our lives today.

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