One of the things that separates the Catholic church from many other churches is its devotion to saints. Saints are known as holy men and women who have lead extraordinary lives and are now in Heaven. Many people tend to misunderstand what saints are and how their legacy has continued even after their death on earth.
What Exactly is a Saint?
Saints are people who have followed the bible’s teachings and have lead lives according to the bible. Both the Orthodox and the Catholic churches use the term “Saint” to refer to both men and women who have lead lives that have been led by God and have performed at least one miracle during their lifetime.
Saints are already in Heaven and have been recognized by the church through its process of canonization. This is a lengthy process that looks closely at the life of someone that many people think should be made a saint. When someone is made a saint the church is using them as an example to Christians alive today.
Why Catholics Pray to Saints
Catholics, like all Christians, believe that there is life after death. The bible teaches Christians that death is not the end of life. Christians that have died are in Heaven and they are with God. It is believed that the saints in Heaven can talk with God on their behalf. When Catholics pray to saints they believe they are communicating with them. The process of prayer is also a recognition of the communion of saints.
There are many saints who are well known in this day and age, even if they died many years ago. One of the most well-known saints is Saint Augustine of Hippo. His works, which can be found in The complete works of St Augustine still influence Christian teachings to this day.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta is one of the most recent people to be canonized in living memory, thanks to her missionary work. To this day, people are still canonized.
What are Patron Saints?
Patron saints are chosen to represent a trade or an illness, for example, and can speak with God on someone’s behalf. There seems to be quite a large misunderstanding about patron saints to this day. Many Catholic churches are named after patron saints, showing their devotion to God.
What is the Litany of the Saints?
One of the Catholic church’s oldest prayers is known as “The litany of the saints”. This prayer is typically recited on Holy Saturday and on All Saints Day. The prayer is typically used throughout the year as well. This special prayer focuses on the wide variety of saints and it includes a few examples of each saint mentioned. In addition to this, the special prayer also asks each of the saints both together and individually to pray for all of the Christians who are continuing their pilgrimage on earth.
As you can see, there is a lot more to saints than meets the eye.
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