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For the purpose of the post, I'm not worried about prayers to the saints, or anything about canonization. I want to take a step back from debates on the saints in heaven, and just look at the saints as people who lived inspirational lives.
We are called to live like Jesus. Unfortunately, we don't get to see Jesus in person anymore, and what's recorded about His life is relatively limited. While the Gospels give us quite a bit to work with, it's still helpful to see other people as role models, never forgetting that the pinnacle is Jesus.
Ideally, all of our pastors are this way. When we come to church, we should see a relatively holy person, helping us to do the same.
Many of us were blessed with good parents; I know I've been led closer to Christ by trying to live as my dad does.
I could honestly say, "Father Bob is a pretty cool guy. He's humble, regularly admitting his faults during his sermons; he's intelligent, very well-studied on the Church Fathers; he's friendly, always a joy to talk to. I want to be more like him." I don't think anyone would chastise me for saying this; what's wrong with wanting to be more like someone who lives his life better than I do?
So why don't we act the same regarding the saints?
All too often, Protestants outright reject many good things from the Catholic church, not because they're bad, but because they're Catholic. We see this trend in politics as well; Democrats will reject some good policies not because they're bad, but because they're Republican (and visa-versa).
Some Protestant churches accept the saints as I've portrayed them in this post; not as people to pray to, but as good role models. And why not? I've included a few links to saint stories at the bottom of this post to show holiness lived out in ways we might not have thought of before. "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." (Proverbs 13:20) "Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith." (Hebrews 13:7)
The saints have some of the quirkiest, coolest, and most amazing stories in human history, and they are the most diverse group of people. You already know about Saint Paul, St. Peter, St. Michael the Archangel, and others from the Bible; Saint John Chrysostom was incredibly influential in the early Church; Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius evangelized Eastern Europe, and the Cyrillic alphabet owes it's name to the saint who helped make it. The saints are constant proof that, rich or poor, American or Asian, martyr or convert, anywhere God puts you, you can find great holiness.
Also included is a link to Saint of the Day; it's a great thing to set your web browser to automatically open to.
Merciful Like the Father: St. Vitalis of Gaza - Held By His Pierced Hands
Saint Teresa of Avila
St. Catherine of Siena - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Saint of the Day
We are called to live like Jesus. Unfortunately, we don't get to see Jesus in person anymore, and what's recorded about His life is relatively limited. While the Gospels give us quite a bit to work with, it's still helpful to see other people as role models, never forgetting that the pinnacle is Jesus.
Ideally, all of our pastors are this way. When we come to church, we should see a relatively holy person, helping us to do the same.
Many of us were blessed with good parents; I know I've been led closer to Christ by trying to live as my dad does.
I could honestly say, "Father Bob is a pretty cool guy. He's humble, regularly admitting his faults during his sermons; he's intelligent, very well-studied on the Church Fathers; he's friendly, always a joy to talk to. I want to be more like him." I don't think anyone would chastise me for saying this; what's wrong with wanting to be more like someone who lives his life better than I do?
So why don't we act the same regarding the saints?
All too often, Protestants outright reject many good things from the Catholic church, not because they're bad, but because they're Catholic. We see this trend in politics as well; Democrats will reject some good policies not because they're bad, but because they're Republican (and visa-versa).
Some Protestant churches accept the saints as I've portrayed them in this post; not as people to pray to, but as good role models. And why not? I've included a few links to saint stories at the bottom of this post to show holiness lived out in ways we might not have thought of before. "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." (Proverbs 13:20) "Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith." (Hebrews 13:7)
The saints have some of the quirkiest, coolest, and most amazing stories in human history, and they are the most diverse group of people. You already know about Saint Paul, St. Peter, St. Michael the Archangel, and others from the Bible; Saint John Chrysostom was incredibly influential in the early Church; Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius evangelized Eastern Europe, and the Cyrillic alphabet owes it's name to the saint who helped make it. The saints are constant proof that, rich or poor, American or Asian, martyr or convert, anywhere God puts you, you can find great holiness.
Also included is a link to Saint of the Day; it's a great thing to set your web browser to automatically open to.
Merciful Like the Father: St. Vitalis of Gaza - Held By His Pierced Hands
Saint Teresa of Avila
St. Catherine of Siena - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Saint of the Day