Saints
Bible Verses About Saints...
To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 1:7
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God... -Ephesians 2:19
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. -Colossians 1:11-12
For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. -Philemon 1:7
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. -Revelation 14:12
Saints Q&A
What is the communication of Saints?
Every Sunday Millions of Christians recite the Apostles Creed, professing their belief in the “communications of the saints”. Few realize the importance of this phrase, sandwiched as it is between other deep mysteries of the Catholic Faith. Some have denounced the Catholic teaching on the communion of Saints as “unbiblical”. Its bitter irony that the very doctrine of Christian unity has itself become a barrier to unity. The controversy revolves around, “Is it biblical to ask saints in heaven to pray (intercede) for us? Catholics say yes. They recognize that since Christians are united with each other through Christ, and are commanded to love and pray for one another, Christians on earth can ask Christians in heaven for their prayers. Some say no. They argue that praying to saints undermines Christ’s unique mediatorship, pointing to 1-Timothy 2:5. “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” As with the various other Catholic doctrines some oppose, there is a fundamental misunderstanding by them about the Catholic teaching on this subject. They worry that by praying to Mary and the Saints, Catholics are worshipping them; that giving honor to the saints is actually robbing honor from God; and that using crucifixes , icons, statues and other holy images of Christ, Mary, and the saints is just a Catholic form of idolatry. But these are misunderstandings-ones; we Catholics have an obligation to clear up….it’s crucial that we know how to explain the basics of the communion of saints from the Bible. We must also show the historical evidence for this doctrine from the writings and liturgical practices of the early Church.
How can the saints hear all those millions of simultaneous prayers, in all those different languages?
First, since the saints are living in eternity they aren’t limited by time and space as we are because they are beyond both. One might say it takes no time at all to hear all those prayers because the saints have no time. Second, since no matter how many prayers might ascend to heaven in any given moment, there is still only a finite number of people on earth and therefore, there would only be a finite numbers of prayers at one time. So, neither omniscience nor omnipresence is required to hear all of the prayers ever prayed at one time, no matter how great their number. Third, it’s silly to think that the abilities of the saints in heaven are as paltry as ours. Our inability to understand how the saints can hear so many prayers is hardly a reason to deny that they can hear them. In their glorified state, the saints are capable of doing things we can hardly imagine.
Why should we honor the Saints?
Scripture tells us that if we persevere in fidelity to Christ, we will receive honor and praise from Him and His friends. This is what the Catholic Church teaches and does when it honors Mary and the saints. When we recognize and proclaim the beauty God has wrought in a majestic mountain, or a dazzling sunset no one would think that doing so somehow takes away from the glory of God. God is glorified in his creation (e.g. Angles, mountains, stars, sunsets, human beings) and when we praise the beauty of his creation we are praising him. This principle is the heart of Catholic teaching on honoring Mary and the Catholic saints. We recognize the great beauty and the graces God has bestowed on these men and women, and praising them redounds to God’s greater honor and glory. On the other hand, bowing before anything or anyone in an act of worship is, of course, idolatry. The Catholic Church has always made this distinction clear. The Bible makes this clear, too. We should also remember, though, that the saints themselves are held out in Scripture as being worthy of praise and emulation.
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