WHO ARE SAINTS?
The word "saint" simply means "holy one". Hence, saints are those made holy not by their own merit but by the grace of almighty God with whom all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). Writing to the Colossians (1:2-12), St. Paul exhorts that all Christians are "Saints" by virtue of their baptism: "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints.... May you be strengthened with all power, according to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in lights".
The implication of the above is that holiness or sainthood is simply our common Christian vocation. This makes it true to say that there are saints on earth (Col. 1:12) and saints in heaven ("in light") (Col. 1:12). However, it is more appropriate to refer to those on earth as potential saints "in light".
In the teachings of Jesus, saints are simply the "Blessed" ones (Matt. 5:1-12). They are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek...who are destined to inherit heaven, be comforted, inherit the earth..... In this teaching, Christ puts every "struggling" Christian or believer in the group of saints. He makes it clear that sainthood is simply surrendering our wills and lives to God; hence, it is not an impossible project.
THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN
Catholic belief and theology hold that the Church exists in three realms: heaven, earth, and purgatory. This categorizes the Church into three - the Church Triumphant (in heaven), the Church Suffering (in purgatory) and the Church Militant (on earth). The Church Militant seeks the intercession of the Church Triumphant while she prays for the Church Suffering.
From above definition, "saints" (in strict terms) are those in heaven. Having struggled through the adversities of this earth and having come out triumphant by the the grace of God, we seek their intercession in our own daily struggles. We believe they are alive and appear constantly to us not only at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-7). Jesus makes this abundantly clear when he refers to the Old Testament understanding of God as "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob". He crowns everything by saying "He is God, not of the dead but of the living....." (Lk. 20:38).
The names of these saints are contained in the litany of the saints. Its complete list is contained in Revelation 7:9: "....a number impossible to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the Lamb". They are there before the throne of His Majesty, praying for us. We celebrate them annually on the Feast of all Saints (1st of November).
SEEKING THE INTERCESSION OF THE SAINTS.
Many Catholics are tainted by non-Catholics of seeking the intercession of the saints. Some of these non-Catholics makes reference to biblical passages like 1Timothy 2:5: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus" or Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them". Also Romans 8:26-27 describes the Holy Spirit as interceding for us. These passages, amongst others, are reference points for those who query the Catholic position on this issue.
This argument does not render our Catholic perspective invalid. Reading Revelation 5:8, St. John had a vision of the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God under the form of "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints". This passage leaves us with the understanding that the triumphant church in heaven actively intercedes for us.
One the charge of 1 Tim. 2:5 wherein St. Paul makes reference to one Mediator between God and men, it is right to state in clear terms, that the intercession of the saints does not oppose the role of Christ as the sole mediator. After all, in the verses preceding 1 Tim. 2:5 St. Paul calls for human intercessions: "First of all, then, I urge that supplication, prayers, intercession and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions....." (1 Tim. 2:1-14). Writing to the Colossians, St. Paul himself asked for the intercession of the saints in Colossae (Col. 4:3). The simple theology and logic here is that we all (triumphant and pilgrim saints) share in the life, divine nature and office of Jesus Christ who is the one Mediator between God and men.
Some of the great saints of old understand the spirituality of saintly intercessions and took advantage of it. Records have it that St Jerome spent his Sunday afternoons strolling among the martyrs' remains in the Roman catacombs. On one occasion, St John Chrysostom was face down upon the Martyr's tomb asking for his prayers. We can do the same and enjoy their generous intercessions.
CONCLUSION
Seeking the intercession of the saints is like listening to St. Paul say "Be imitators of me as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 1:11) because veneration done to Christ without whom there is no St. Paul. On another occasion Paul writes : "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2:20). Crowing this theme up, Scott Hahn says "Christ indeed lives in all the saints, and he makes them even more perfectly themselves.
The intercession of the saints is truly efficacious. Let us not forget that Mary started interceding right from the days of her earthly existence as she did at the marriage feast at Cana in Galilee (cf. John 2'1-12). Ultimately she won the favour of her son for that poor couple. Christ, indeed, is the one who acts when the saints are called upon because they, in turn, call upon him on our behalf. When the voices of those holy men and women are added to ours, our prayers are loudest!.
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