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Why should one write about Saints in the first place? What is
their importance? They are in fact very important when you stop to
realize that we live in a world of 3000 different Christian
denominational voices! Which leader/denomination holds the absolute
truth? All denominations cannot be all true at the same time
otherwise one falls into the error of relative spiritual truth.
Therefore, which leader/denomination can we trust to show us the way
to Salvation? Of course one is to read the Bible and follow Christ
but unfortunately most people (especially myself) have a very poor
sense of discernment and unfortunately our human lifetime span is
limited. Because we are living in a very spiritually confusing era
as evidenced by the multitudes of Christian denominations, we are in
dire need of proven leaders who can demonstratively prove that they
in fact know and in fact practice the correct way. Therefore a call
for demonstratively proven correct spiritual leaders goes out
throughout the lands. Whose path is the evidential and convincingly
correct path for us to follow? We should trust only those who have
demonstrated conclusively that their path is a Saintly Salvific
path. Let’s start this discussion by demonstrating that the Bible
reveals that Saints do in fact exist.
The Bible has many uncontestable accounts of Saints. Moses was a
model Saint. In the New Testament Apostles Peter & Paul were Saints.
Saints provide evidence (through their faith, humility, repentance,
acts, miracles, relics, etc…) that they are on the right Christian
growth path and can be trusted to show the way. Before I advance too
far in this topic I’d like to establish some definitive attributes
of a Saint so that we can all be on the same wavelength as far as
the definition of Saints goes. For one thing, the next section shows
that a Saint is in communion with Christ.
The communion of Saints is evident in the Christ’s
Transfiguration with Elijah and Moses alongside Him (Mark 9:2-4). I
can’t think of anything else that demonstrates Christian potential
more than this. Also, Revelations 5:8 says, “ … the twenty-four
elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were
holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the
saints.” This shows in fact that there are in existence multiple
Saints.
Now let’s move beyond this point and towards a more universal
definition of a Saint. In other words, besides Elijah & Moses how
can we be sure that a so-called Saint is truly a Saint? A similar
question was asked about the writings that went into the assembling
of the New Testament: how can we be sure that the New Testament
writings were truly Apostolic writings? The Apostolic writing were
authenticated via a New Testament canonization process. And just
like the New Testament went through a canonization process so did
potential Saints go through a similar canonization process for
Sainthood. To believe in the Bible means that one believes in the
New Testament canonization process also. You can’t have one without
the other. Therefore if one believes in the New Testament
canonization process then it automatically follows that one has to
believe in the Saints canonization process because both processes
were administered by the very same authoritative people. To believe
otherwise is to say that the very same authorities that can be so
very right and so very wrong at the same time can still be trusted
and more importantly: their entire works should not be called into
question. In today’s world, to call a newly convicted high-office
person’s entire works into question is an automatic reflexive
action. Would one keep entrusting his/her spiritual life to
spiritually discredited authorities? Henceforth, if one opposes the
Saints canonization process then he/she is in fact calling into
question the works of the same authoritative people which includes
the canonization and therefore the Apostolic authenticity of the
Bible. Although I did not quote any Biblical verses in this
paragraph I have nevertheless shown that the recognition of Saints
are on an equal and indivisible footing as with the recognition of
the books of the New Testament. In other words, belief in either one
(Bible or Sainthood) logically produces a belief in the other and a
disbelief in either one logically produces a disbelief in the other.
For the most part, the Sainthood canonization process follows the
following method: 1) there should be an evident continuous and
increasing love for the departed, 2) miracles wrought by the
departed before or after his/her death can certainly help the
process (see the next paragraph which talks about relics), and 3)
this is all followed by an extensive examination of all the records
left by the departed, and if these prove satisfactory, then the
authorities can announce their judgment. This canonization process
is es¬sential so that highly charismatic people do not automatically
receive an immediate pass but that their former life must have been
first and foremost a moral and faithful one.
There are many Saints that were declared canonized by the
Orthodox Church: Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Seraphim of Sarov
to name just a few. Saint John Chrysostom was one Saint who was
alive and in an Ecclesiastical high office when the Bible was
canonized by the Christian Church between the years of 350 and 397
(Council of Carthage). Which person (Saint or not) has championed
New Testament exegesis more than Saint John Chrysostom – the
greatest of all Christian expositors? Research into the lives of
Saints reinforces a plethora of New Testament spiritual revelations
and helps us to navigate and achieve more accurately our New
Testament Christian potential. This is invaluable in this day and
age because of the multitudes of differing Biblical interpretations.
Saint John Chrysostom lived in what is now Turkey and Saint
Seraphim of Sarov lived in what is now Russia. It is true that we
who live our lives in North America are behind the eight ball in
this respect: Not only are almost all Saints of another time period
but also they are almost all of another continent. This explains the
extreme lack of knowledge that we North Americans have about Saints
– but we should not fall back on this argument as our excuse. In
fact, North America has been blessed with St. Herman of Alaska and
St. John Maximovitch of San Francisco - so there is hope.
It is critical to note that Scripture calls every baptized
Christian a saint (with a small “s”). See 2 Cor 1:1, Eph 1:1, Acts
9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41, Romans 12:13, Romans 15:21-22, Romans
16:15, etc… We are also called saints in the Divine Liturgy. When
the Priest says in the Divine Liturgy: “The saintly things (agia) to
the saints (ayiois),” he is speaking not to the Saints but also to
the contemporary saints who are participating in the liturgy. The
saintly things (the Body and Blood of Jesus) are offered to them
(the living saints) to nourish their life in Christ. We are saints
from the moment of Baptism. We continue to be saints testifying and
shining for Jesus in the world today as we maintain our fellowship
with Him through prayer and the sacraments.
One more topic I’d like to touch upon is the Relics of Saints. In
2 King 13:21, the Old Testament said, “And they cast the man into
the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the
bones of Elisha, he came to life, and stood up on his feet.” Should
one therefore conclude that only after a Saint reposes can his
presence cause healings? Not necessarily if you look into the New
Testament. Not only did the Apostles do miracles, but their
belongings also wrought wonders. Also, “Insomuch that unto the sick
were carried from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases
departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts
19:11-12) “Insomuch that they carried forth the sick into the
streets, and laid them on beds and couches, in order that, when
Peter came, at least his shadow might fall upon some of them. There
came also a multitude [out] of the cities round about unto
Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with
unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” (Acts 5:15-16). In
conclusion, whatever belongs to the Saints has been shown to be
sanctified and venerable including relics which, when accepted in
good faith as such, could have also a curative, or healing, effect.
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