FAITH IN GOD OR IN THE SAINTS?
In November we celebrate the day of God’s saints, a contentious issue for our non-Catholic brothers who reject the saints’ importance for salvation.
One day at the Krome Detention Center in Miami, one of the detainees questioned me the veneration of saints, solely because it is Christ who saves and we shouldn’t need other models of holiness. At first I thought this person was at the meeting to cause conflict with the other Catholics. But then I thought that in reality this person had the right to know why Catholics venerate the saints in faith.
I immediately took the Bible and turned to the Letter of Paul to the Philippians : “For me life is Christ, and death is gain… Bothers, follow my example and of those who conduct themselves according to the model you have in us” (Phil 1, 21; 3, 17). Elsewhere, the Apostle says: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11, 1).
And what about the Virgin Mary? The gospel says that she is the woman “who God blessed more among all women” (Lk 1, 28 e 1, 42). In Mary’s song (Lk 1, 46-55), she is an example of humility and service, presenting herself as slave of God. How should we not emulate her virtues?
The saints are ordinary people, worthy of being followed by their life examples. Their mistakes justify our humanity; their successes (in following Jesus) give us hope and encouragement to give meaning to our faith. Father Eliecer Sálesman, in most of his writings about personal overcomes, shows the saints as examples of human and spiritual achievements.
The saints represent the pure human being, free of social masks, and willing to face anti-Christians structures with Christ’s virtues and strength. For the world, they are heroes; for the Church, they are saints. For Catholics, they are benevolent beings to their neighbors; they already were while living on Earth, even more now as they are next to God. As disciples of Jesus, they will always be at Christ’s service, whom we also follow as our Master and Lord.
Amen.
In November we celebrate the day of God’s saints, a contentious issue for our non-Catholic brothers who reject the saints’ importance for salvation.
One day at the Krome Detention Center in Miami, one of the detainees questioned me the veneration of saints, solely because it is Christ who saves and we shouldn’t need other models of holiness. At first I thought this person was at the meeting to cause conflict with the other Catholics. But then I thought that in reality this person had the right to know why Catholics venerate the saints in faith.
I immediately took the Bible and turned to the Letter of Paul to the Philippians : “For me life is Christ, and death is gain… Bothers, follow my example and of those who conduct themselves according to the model you have in us” (Phil 1, 21; 3, 17). Elsewhere, the Apostle says: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11, 1).
And what about the Virgin Mary? The gospel says that she is the woman “who God blessed more among all women” (Lk 1, 28 e 1, 42). In Mary’s song (Lk 1, 46-55), she is an example of humility and service, presenting herself as slave of God. How should we not emulate her virtues?
The saints are ordinary people, worthy of being followed by their life examples. Their mistakes justify our humanity; their successes (in following Jesus) give us hope and encouragement to give meaning to our faith. Father Eliecer Sálesman, in most of his writings about personal overcomes, shows the saints as examples of human and spiritual achievements.
The saints represent the pure human being, free of social masks, and willing to face anti-Christians structures with Christ’s virtues and strength. For the world, they are heroes; for the Church, they are saints. For Catholics, they are benevolent beings to their neighbors; they already were while living on Earth, even more now as they are next to God. As disciples of Jesus, they will always be at Christ’s service, whom we also follow as our Master and Lord.
Amen.
