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Who Are the Saints?

By Elizabeth Harrington

The upcoming Solemnity of St John the Baptist offers us an opportunity to reflect on the use of the word “saint.” Paul clearly identifies the term with the members of the Christian communities to whom he writes. He addresses his letters to them and sends his final greetings to them as saints, sends greetings from the saints, takes up a collection for the saints, and expects them to act like saints and to care for the saints.

But it is not long before certain people are singled out and treated with particular respect. Those who were singled out in the beginning were the martyrs because it was believed that they gained immediate entry into heaven because of the ultimate sacrifice they had made in fidelity to the faith. Their death is seen as an imitation of the death of Christ and so their privileged place means that their intercession was particularly effective.

The first written evidence of a devotion to a particular saint is not found until the year 156 in a book called “The Martyrdom of Polycarp” in which it is noted that his followers celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom. It wasn’t long before this was extended to include those who were persecuted for the faith but not actually martyred (Confessors) and then to Virgins and Ascetics on the grounds that a life of renunciation and holiness might equal the devotion of those who had actually died for Christ.

In time, the list was extended to include Bishops and Popes, Church Fathers and a wider variety of Christian witnesses, and the role of the saints expanded to include being helpers in time of need, as well as being seen as patrons of particular countries or occupations.
Picture
By the fifth century, a cult of the saints was well established and their names are included in the Liturgy. However, the veneration of the saints tends to be on a local or regional level, with the original focus being on visits to the tombs of the saints. This later extended to relics and objects from their lives.
It is only in the late tenth century that the Papacy started to play a more important role in recognizing and officially ‘canonizing’ individuals. The purpose of this was to limit the excessive and untested claims of some local communities.

The Church does not give us saints to supplant the role of Christ as our Intercessor with the Father. Anything that takes away from the primacy of Christ in this or any other aspect is a deviance from orthodox Christian belief. The saints are seen as credible mediators because their sacrifice (or goodness) makes them closer to God and their humanness makes them more accessible to us. Perhaps if the humanity of Christ had not been downplayed in theology, the faithful would not have experienced a need for more ‘real’ models or intercessors.
​
It is important that we never lose sight of the original meaning of the term ‘Saint’. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the Communion of Saints is the Church (#946) in all its dimensions meaning – primarily – us!

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  • Mystery and Mission
  • Archive
    • Conversion, Healing, Penance
    • Desiderio Desideravi
    • In Search of Peace
    • Word of God Sunday
    • Living Lent >
      • Forty Lenten Ideas
      • Lent is a time to grow in the faith
      • Walking the Stations of the Cross this Lent
    • Saints and Souls >
      • Saintly Endeavours
      • Let the Dead Have November
      • Why We Pray for the Faithful Departed
    • Lay Liturgical Ministry >
      • Talents for Ministry
      • Nine Steps to Becoming a Better Lector
      • Ministers of Communion​
    • Music Matters >
      • Repertoire and Renewal
      • Liturgical Song and Evangelisation ​
      • 5 tips for effective music ministry
    • 50 Days of Easter >
      • Celebrating Easter's 50 Days
      • Aspects of the Ascension
      • Reflections for Pentecost Sunday
    • Saint Joseph >
      • Patris corde (With a Father's Heart)
      • Celebrating St Joseph in the Liturgy
      • St Joseph in Scripture
    • Christmas 2020 >
      • On the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene
      • Botticelli - The Mystical Nativity
      • The Season of Christmas
    • Planning for Christmas 2020 >
      • Planning Christmas Masses 2020
      • Re-emerging With Purpose
      • Beyond Welcome: Show, Don't Tell
    • Signs and Symbols >
      • Sacramental Signs and Symbols
      • The cross reminds us of the sacrifices of the Christian life
      • Signs & Symbols: A Reflection
    • Looking Forward >
      • Solemnities on Saturdays
      • Our Family at Mass in the Age of Technology
      • Is your RCIA open all year-round? - Embracing 'Pyjama Catechesis'
    • Eucharist as Living Memory >
      • Memory is not Something Private
      • So what's wrong with a Virtual Mass?
      • The Middle of Nowhere
    • What have we learned from lockdown? >
      • Church After Coronavirus - New Understandings of Social MIssion
      • Virus and Vocation
      • Real Presence and Virtual Liturgies
    • Celebrating Holy Week in COVID times​ >
      • Coronavirus and the Eucharist
      • How to celebrate the liturgy when there is no Mass
      • Holy Week At Home
    • Solidarity and Unity >
      • Taking Communion to those who Self-Isolate
      • Peace and Solidarity
      • United to Christ We Are Never Alone
    • Preparing for Lent >
      • The Weeks of Lent in the Australian Imagination
      • How to Prepare for Lent
      • It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Lent
    • Liturgy with Children >
      • Using the Lectionary for Masses with Children
      • Praying Morning Prayer with Primary School Children
      • Directory for Masses with Children
    • Praying For Rain >
      • National Drought Prayer Campaign
      • Praying for Rain - Prayer Resources
      • A Ritual of Lament
    • Christian Initiation >
      • CATECHUMENATE - Rolling Year Round
      • Inculturating Christian Life in the Digital World
      • Tweens and Teens in the RCIA
    • Season of Creation >
      • Season of Creation September 1 - October 4
      • The Cosmic Song of 'Laudato Si'
    • Ordinary Time >
      • The Season of Ordinary Time
      • Sunday - The Original Feast
      • Luke's Gospel
    • Saints and Feasts >
      • Mary and the Saints
      • Saints and Martyrs
      • Who Are the Saints?
    • Eucharist >
      • The Centrality of the Eucharist
      • Space Matters
      • Can you drink the cup?
    • Altar Servers
    • Ministers of the Word
    • Children's Liturgy of the Word on Sundays
    • Advent Issues >
      • Advent Resources >
        • Advent
        • Music in Advent
        • Advent BOB
      • The Season of Advent
    • Liturgy Preparation
    • Communion
    • A pastoral map to baptism
    • The Role of the Deacon
    • Music Ministry
    • Reconciliation
    • Women Deacons, Music Choices and Lent
    • Data Projectors
    • The Christmas Season >
      • The Book of Blessings
      • Formation in Liturgy
    • The Year of Youth
    • Should we celebrate Australia Day?
    • Marriage
    • Easter Triduum
    • ANZAC Day
    • Funerals
    • The problem of translation
    • Advent resources for families
  • Subscribe