Stain Glass Francis

I noticed this stain glass the same place I noticed this statue of the same Saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. The statute highlighted his love of animals, this image emphasizes his stigmata, considered to be the first in the history of church. You may recall the statue of another stigmatist, Saint Padre Pio right here in Jersey City. The stigmata are the wounds of Christ, a sign of holiness. I love the literal nature of this stain glass, the light streaming through the holes in the hands and feet. Or as he declared in a famous canticle, “Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun,who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.”