Seraphic Doctor of the Church

July 15 is the Feast Day of Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274).

Saint Bonaventure, Christian mystic and Seraphic Doctor of the Church, was a lifetime of Mark Prophet. Saint Bonaventure, a lifelong devotee of Saint Francis, understood deeply the mystery of the holy alchemy of the seraphic science. This science is learned by meditation on the profound mystery of the crucifixion whereby the very essence of the I AM Presence and the Christ Self, the essence of that light called the blood, is shed for the remission of sins, for the transmutation of Karma.

In the book Memories of Mark – My Life with Mark Prophet, Annice Booth relates the story of when Mark Prophet discovered this previous lifetime as Saint Bonaventure.

One day we walked over to the Santa Barbara Mission, just about two blocks from the Motherhouse. There was a large tapestry, probably twelve feet tall, of Saint Bonaventure in the foyer as we entered.

As we were admiring it, El Morya spoke to Mark and said, “Mark, that is you!”

Mark was very humble when he realized that this had been one of his embodiments.

Saint Bonaventure and Saint Francis of Assisi

The story is told that Saint Bonaventure's mother brought her child who was ill, almost at the point of death, to Saint Francis. Francis prayed and the little boy was healed. Those who witnessed this miracle exclaimed, “Oh, Bonaventura!” (good fortune) and rejoiced. His mother consecrated her son to a life of service to God and he was thereafter called Bonaventure.

As he grew older he became a member of Saint Francis' monks, the Franciscans. He was one of the leaders in that order after Francis' death.

Bonaventure became one of the saints of the Catholic Church and later one of the doctors of the Church—the Seraphic Doctor, as he was called—as he endeavored to set forth the true doctrines.

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From: Memories of Mark – My Life with Mark Prophet, by Annice Booth.