Fiery Seraph Wings
Do you know why St Francis is called "Seraphic"?
According to Angelology the Seraphim have as a mission, to love God, that is their task. When Saint Francis is called seraphic, a trait of his personality is being pointed out: he was extremely loving and that is one of the great attractions of the saint of Assisi, he went through life loving everything, even what we find so hard to love. I love the good and the bad, the healthy and the sick. His relationship with creation was extremely affectionate "brother Sun", "sister Moon", "sister water". He was a man who sowed love in a world where there was hatred.
In the 6th century the writer Dionysus the Areopagus drew from different biblical passages a list of nine choirs of angels: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels and angels. The first in the hierarchy of angels are the Seraphim. An individual member of this group is called a seraphim.
Seraphim are mentioned in the book of the prophet Isaiah 6: 1-7. There they are standing before the throne of God praising Him and shouting, "Holy, Holy, Holy is Yahweh of Armies, his Glory fills the whole earth." It is a Seraph who touches Isaiah's lips with a burning coal, freeing him from all sin. They are associated with the Seraphim because of their burning love for God.
A Seraph appears in the story of Saint Francis of Assisi when he received the stigma (the wounds of the passion of Christ) on his body. Saint Francis prayed for the grace to experience the pains of Christ's passion and to feel the same love that Jesus led to sacrifice for us. Then a Seraphim with six wings of fire under heaven, looking like a man nailed to a cross. He imprinted the stigma on the body of Saint Francis.
Because of this experience and his ardent love for God, Saint Francis is often referred to as the Seraphic Saint and there are also parishes and institutions named Saint Francis Seraphim in the world.
According to Angelology the Seraphim have as a mission, to love God, that is their task. When Saint Francis is called seraphic, a trait of his personality is being pointed out: he was extremely loving and that is one of the great attractions of the saint of Assisi, he went through life loving everything, even what we find so hard to love. I love the good and the bad, the healthy and the sick. His relationship with creation was extremely affectionate "brother Sun", "sister Moon", "sister water". He was a man who sowed love in a world where there was hatred.
In the 6th century the writer Dionysus the Areopagus drew from different biblical passages a list of nine choirs of angels: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels and angels. The first in the hierarchy of angels are the Seraphim. An individual member of this group is called a seraphim.
Seraphim are mentioned in the book of the prophet Isaiah 6: 1-7. There they are standing before the throne of God praising Him and shouting, "Holy, Holy, Holy is Yahweh of Armies, his Glory fills the whole earth." It is a Seraph who touches Isaiah's lips with a burning coal, freeing him from all sin. They are associated with the Seraphim because of their burning love for God.
A Seraph appears in the story of Saint Francis of Assisi when he received the stigma (the wounds of the passion of Christ) on his body. Saint Francis prayed for the grace to experience the pains of Christ's passion and to feel the same love that Jesus led to sacrifice for us. Then a Seraphim with six wings of fire under heaven, looking like a man nailed to a cross. He imprinted the stigma on the body of Saint Francis.
Because of this experience and his ardent love for God, Saint Francis is often referred to as the Seraphic Saint and there are also parishes and institutions named Saint Francis Seraphim in the world.
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