It is only when Steve comes over to my house and says, "T'heck is the deal with that wall-hanging, the one of St. Francis with his wounds?...and I say, "oh, he received the Stigmata. He was the first one you know."
And you say to me, "well, I gotta get going..and you race out of the house...
Ha Ha Ha...I rarely do think about this. Obviously, one doesn't have to accept this as Doctrine, as least as far as I know, but it is just part of our Tradition and, thankfully, there are much smarter men here than me who can explain it to you.
I was learnt it was a sign of God's love and that those He loves the most are willing to undergo suffering for others because, done with right intent, our undergoing suffering for others can be both Salvific and Redemptive.
It was Chesterton who noted that many of us know these things in our hearts but it is really tough to put it into words.
I can see why another not raised in our family would be surprised at some of the things I take for granted.