The Saints
As he lay in his bed, the youngster stared at the ceiling and then occasionally he would cast glances at the walls of his room. Everywhere he looked, on the ceiling and on the walls, there were pictures of athletic stars that he admired….and hoped to emulate. He so deeply desired to excel in athletic endeavors; it was only the best players whom he admired and wished to copy. Would he be able to achieve the athletic accomplishments of the persons whose images were staring at him from his ceiling and walls? He had decided to follow their examples as he pursued his athletic goals. They were the best, the most successful in their sports; the ones worth his effort to follow.
Whether it be in sports, business, or politics most people who seek success in their careers use successful individuals as models on how to attain their own goals. Many successful individuals do inspire and provide guidance and motivation to others desiring to fulfill their ambitions. Often young married couples use their parents as guides for the raising of their own children, though on some issues they may choose to differ from the practices of their parents. Nonetheless, parents often offer solid models for parenting. In so many aspects of life, it is appropriate to copy those whom one visualizes as having been successful in their endeavors.
In religious matters, Christians have the perfect example and guide for achieving holiness — Jesus Christ. However, there are other individuals who also provide not only examples of holiness, but also who can offer help and encouragement to those seeking holiness. Saints, both those who have died and those still alive, are the best friends and mentors to those of us seeking a close and endearing relationship with God. The word saint literally means “holy,” and, in the New Testament, saint referred to all who believed in Jesus Christ and followed his teachings. Saints are not just those who have received some recognition for their devotion to God, but also all those many who follow God without securing any human recognition. They can be a parent, a sibling, a friend, a teacher, or anyone who has demonstrated a love for God.
In the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the images of saints, those individuals who have received formal recognition of their holiness and heroic virtue, may be visible in paintings, on stained glass windows, and in statues. All of these images are meant to inspire others to understand that following God can be accomplished by anyone who is willing to ardently pursue Him. Catholic and Orthodox members do not adore these images or statues, but rather use them as examples of persons to be emulated and sources of help in their search for God.
In pagan times, statues and other images were frequently adored as gods themselves, not just images of individuals who demonstrated a strong commitment to God. This is not the case in Catholic and Orthodox faiths; there is no adoration or worshiping of the images or statues. Saints, similar to the athletic heroes of the youngster, are serious, positive examples for Catholics to admire and follow their examples in seeking God. Saints are models of holiness for all of us to follow, not gods to be worshiped.
Some Suggested Readings
“Lumen Gentium” is a document issued as a result of Vatican II, in Chapter 2 there is a discussion of the roles of saints, both living and deceased.
G.K. Chesterton’s single volumes on the lives of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Francis of Assisi
There are numerous volumes in existence concerning saints from the apostles to modern day saints. Among the modern day saints are Pope John Paul II, Sr. Elizabeth Ann Seaton, St Jose Maria Escriva, and others. Every saint is unique; the principal point of commonality is their love of God.