The Significance of the Stigmata:The stigmata are more than just an unusual phenomena seen in some of our more celebrated saints. Like all supernatural phenomena, they signify something of importance for every one of us. The wounds of Christ remind us of Christ's passion, of God bearing the burden of our sins. When they appear in a priest, we can recall that the priest is another Christ; that it is Jesus who works through the priest. During the mass Jesus is then both priest and victim for the sacrifice.

When the stigmata appear in a person other than a priest, such as St. Francis, the first stigmatist, or Teresa Neumann, we are reminded of how we are all called to imitate Christ. These holy men and women with the stigmata imitated Christ, becoming poor and suffering as He did for the benefit of others. They are suffering souls. This reminds us that we are all called to bear one another's burdens as St. Paul writes. We do this both for strangers and for our brothers and sisters in the faith. For you this means your peers. Since the stigmata are Christ's wounds, they also remind us that the best way to help your peers is to keep them focused on Christ who bore the burden of all our sins.

Points of Discussion: We will talk about the stigmata and about the importance of helping others. We will be making plans to help those we don't know with charitable works, and will also be discussing how you can help each other avoid situations that threaten your spiritual well being. This is the most important function of A Drop of Clear Water, that of a support network. We will also be introducing our web site discussion board for the group, so you can continue to communicate and support each other outside of the meetings in a secure password protected online forum.

Newsletters:

Evolution
The Stigmata
Extraterrestrials
The Real Presence
The Eucharist
Providence
Theology of the Body
Faith and Reason
The Reality of the Human Soul