Mystic of St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Francis of Assisi

Abstract

This paper presents figures of St. Seraphim and St. Francis, comparing their mystic. Both saints are regarded as typical representatives of his age and his milieu: St. Seraphim – of the Eastern Orthodox Christian mystic, St. Francis – of the Christian West, the Roman Catholic mysticism. Similar was their life of poverty, similar the joy of life and the attitude towards nature, similar the ecclesial and sacramental dimension of their spirituality. But there were differences. St. Francis’ mystic is more associated with the sphere of emotional and material world, with the earthly reality. And St. Seraphim is a faithful follower of the monastic tradition of Mount Sinai, of Athos and of the other representatives of hesychasm who remaining in the earthly body experienced the spiritual liberation. These differences are visible, if we compare the experience of Christ by Seraphim on Great Thursday and the vision of St Francis on the mountain of Alvernia.