Catholics have always had a place in their hearts for the saints since a long time ago. The church history and traditions are incomplete without these holy people who were able to live righteously and make miracles through prayers.
This article examines the saint in Catholicism, the development of sainthood, and the importance of venerating such figures for Catholics’ spiritual life.
Sainthood has been a changing concept for many centuries under the influence of different cultures and religions.
Martyrdom was seen as the highest form of faith and dedication towards God within the early Christian circles. As a result, Christians worshiped martyrs as saints because they had a special place in heaven and could plead with God for them.
However, during the medieval period, miracles were seen as a new prerequisite for being a saint. People thought that sainthood was appropriate for those individuals who had the capability of performing wonders either when alive or dead. This made the church to look into and keep records on reported miracles hence strengthening the notion of saints as holy personalities chosen by God.
In the present day, the process of canonization in the Catholic Church entails a deep examination of the person’s life as well as miracles (if any). The discussion above explains the origin and development of the concept of sainthood, as it is perceived today.
Canonization is a difficult and detailed process through which the Catholic Church declares a person to be a saint.
It goes beyond mere public proclamation or popular belief and requires in depth examination concerning the candidate's life, miracles attributed to them, and their lasting influence.
Holiness portrayed in one's day to day life is one of the important factors considered for canonization. It encompasses righteousness, devotion, modesty, and deeds that portray the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Moreover, a potential saint should be shown to cause and be associated in at least two miracles of the kind after death confirmed to have happened naturally and without any kind of influence from human beings.
The concept of saints brings to mind holy people who may have wings, perform miracles and wear white clothes. Nevertheless, being a saint goes beyond being an exceptional character; rather, it is the call of Christianity for all Christians.
The term living saint originated in the early days of the Christian Church when members who followed the teachings of Christ were called “saints.” By doing so, we see that holiness is open to all and not just a few selected individuals who may wish for it.
Acting in holiness entails nothing obligatory about making some great achievement or accomplishing difficult tasks. It commences through the loving, kind and self-sacrificing acts which we engage with every day.
For example, the humble deeds of St. Mother Teresa who took care of sick people and the poor or St. Francis de Sales who wrote and did not go out preaching demonstrate to us that one can become a saint through normal means.
Christianity has been instrumental in the growth and evolution of the concept of sainthood. Over the years, holy men and women who demonstrated exceptional faith and morality have been honoured, with their lives serving as a symbol for many. These are the saints, and they are still worshiped in Christian churches today.
Although some people perceive saints as unachievable or remote, they are actually meant to provide us with examples that can help us progress in our own spiritual life. Through their righteous living, we may be motivated to draw closer to God, exercise virtues like kindness and longsuffering, and aim at holiness every day.
Apart from being role models, saints are also intercessors in the catholic tradition. Just as we seek prayers from loved ones when going through tough times, we believe that saints intercede for us in the presence of God. By this communion of saints, it is seen that all those who believe in Christ are linked with one another, both to him who is the latest of them all in time and to those who have gone before.
Among the many saints that the Catholic Church honours, it is difficult to differentiate between them and the popular devotions. Although both entail imploring individuals for their prayers, one has to undergo a very strict analysis before being accepted as a saint by the church.
These popular devotions may be directed at some important personalities within the community, or even imaginary characters endowed with extraordinary qualities or capabilities. Although the church does not give its formal approval to these characters, they form part of the sentimental worship of many people.
In contrast, canonization refers to the process by which officially recognized saints are determined. A thorough evaluation known as canonization is applied to establish whether they have demonstrated heroic virtues, whether there are any miracles which they have performed through praying, and what kind of an impact they have had on the church for so long.
Saint veneration is an age-old practice within the Catholic Church that has been influenced by many cultures throughout history. The veneration of saints drew much inspiration from the Roman pagan practice of venerating gods and ancestors.
With the expansion of Christianity in Europe and other parts of the world, certain elements were assimilated from local culture thereby giving rise to different forms of saint worship.
For instance, syncretism between the customary indigenous beliefs and Catholicism in Latin America gave birth to certain important personalities e.g. our Lady of Guadalupe, who is taken for a saint. Also, the Eastern Orthodoxy adores saints through icons and relics because of the impact of Byzantine art.
The way saints are shown has changed greatly from the early Christian art to the contemporary art. During the first years of Christianity, saints would be shown in very plain and simple symbols most of the time. For instance, a fish would represent Saint Peter, while a dove would stand for Holy Spirit.
As centuries went by, saints’ iconography grew more complex and varied, encompassing symbols of every kind on which they based images. As for St Patrick, he is portrayed holding a shamrock on many occasions which is taken to mean that he used it as a symbol of the threefold nature of God in teaching Christianity.
This is because today’s technological and artistic advancement enables people to create highly authentic images of saints than before. This progression demonstrates the changing perception of holiness over time; whereby it was seen as a far attribute but now viewed closer in terms of role model.
Christianity is not the only religion that came up with the idea of being a saint. Many other faiths also think along this line.
For instance in Hinduism, saints are worshiped like gods after they make a vow of poverty and engage in nothing else but seeking for the truth. The same case applies to Buddhism where there are saintly figures or bodhisattvas that represent the light and help people see the truth just like them.
Islam also shares in this as it reveres certain saintly people known as “friends of God” due to their close relationship and utmost devotion to Allah. Similarly, Sufi mystics are esteemed members of the Muslim community who express their love for God in different ways such as singing, writing songs or poems and worshipping through such means.
It is not only in modern societies that have evolved a lot that there are wise men or women – otherwise known as shamans – that have knowledge which should be conserved and passed down. They are given offerings and their relationship with nature is celebrated in ceremony.
Every saint has a different story but all of them can be described as people who never turned their backs on God.
For example, there is leadership full of courage from St. Peter, writings filled with mystery by St. Teresa of Avila, radical simplicity demonstrated by St. Francis of Assisi, as well as the courage of St. Joan of Arc, little ways of St. Therese of Lisieux and self-sacrifice by St. Maximilian Kolbe – every of the saints is an added value to the holiness tapestry.
The uniqueness of these saints reminds us that holiness cannot be standardized. Everyone has a unique calling to follow Christ and this calling should manifest itself through various charisms and endowments.
By venerating the saints, we honour and commemorate the many different members of the community of the faithful, which is a unity of Christ comprising people who have different origins, characters, difficulties and achievements!
