I am Potestant asking about the saints

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JesusFreak16

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Hey you guys,
First of all, what is your (by your, I mean Catholic) definition of a “saint?”

God’s Peace~ Lisa 🤓
 
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JesusFreak16:
Hey you guys,
First of all, what is your (by your, I mean Catholic) definition of a “saint?”

God’s Peace~ Lisa 🤓
Click to expand...
A saint is anyone who is in Heaven.
 
A saint is anyone who is in heaven.
People use the term “living saint” for anyone who is living a holy life on earth. It was heard frequently about Mother Theresa. Now she is up for formal canonization.
Canonization is a process done by the Vatican which includes a thorough investigation into the life and times of the person who is being considered. When the investigation is completed and the person who has died has met all the criteria, the reigning Pope will declare them a saint in a beautiful liturgy.
You can learn more about the canonization of saints by referring to the Catholic Encyclopedia or even Catholic Answers.
Anna Katharina Emmerick, (1774-1824), who will be beatified this Sunday October 3rd at the Vatican is the mystic of the Passion who inspired Mel Gibson’s movie by the same name. Beatification is one of the steps toward sainthood.

As Catholics, we pray in our creed that we believe in the Communion of Saints, and believe that we all have immortal souls that are capable of joining with us as prayer partners on earth. And frequently we will ask for their intercession in our prayers to God.
Mary his mother is the Queen of All Saints, and we frequently ask her to go ahead on our behalf with our prayer concerns.
 
There is the common usage most Catholics use to refer to those who are examples of holiness, and there is the official definition of the Catholic Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church #946

After confessing “the holy catholic Church,” the Apostles’ Creed adds “the communion of saints.” In a certain sense this article is a further explanation of the preceding: “What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?” The communion of saints is the Church.

So, if a person is a follower of Christ, they would be a saint. However, in the Catholic Church, Saint has become a word used to refer to those saints that are examples of holiness. Therefore, most catholics when asked would say “I am not a Saint!”

There is a “language barrier” here. I hope you can acknowledge and understand the development of the word saint into Saint. We are all saints, but not Saints.
 
Actually, everyone - every single one - in Heaven is Saints. that’s the fundamental definition of the word “Saint” is. You have to be a Saint (i.e. free of sins, perfected) to be there.

Now, what we call as “Saint this” or “Saint that” is those who by the Church have been *formally *acknowledged as “for sure a Saint,” and worthy of public veneration and devotion. The Church has the power to discern who is, for sure, a Saint. These acknowledged Saints are what we commonly call “Saint this” or “Saint that”.

But still, you have to be Saint to enter Heaven. (coming back to the premise of purgatory …)
 
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mrS4ntA:
The Church has the power to discern who is, for sure, a Saint.
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Hey,
Don’t you guys believe that only God can judge? If so, then only God would know who is in heaven. The Church is made of people. Human people. Human people who can make mistakes.

God’s Peace~ Lisa
:ehh:
 
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JesusFreak16:
Hey,
Don’t you guys believe that only God can judge? If so, then only God would know who is in heaven. The Church is made of people. Human people. Human people who can make mistakes.

God’s Peace~ Lisa
:ehh:
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Ok yes, I am quoting myself. I want to clarify that I know that Jesus is the Head of the Church, but on earth people are human and may think that they are influenced by God when they might not be.

God’s Peace~ Lisa
 
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JesusFreak16:
Hey,
Don’t you guys believe that only God can judge? If so, then only God would know who is in heaven. The Church is made of people. Human people. Human people who can make mistakes.

God’s Peace~ Lisa
:ehh:
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Hey Lisa good point! The Catholic church says that noone can be sure of his salvation and yet it talks about Saints who are for sure Saints!
 
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JesusFreak16:
Hey,
Don’t you guys believe that only God can judge? If so, then only God would know who is in heaven. The Church is made of people. Human people. Human people who can make mistakes.

God’s Peace~ Lisa:ehh:
Click to expand...
There is a process for someone being declared a saint, it does not happen over night. Not just anyone can be declared a saint. Only the most holy people like Saint Francis of Asissi or Saint John have been named saints.
 
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homer:
Hey Lisa good point! The Catholic church says that noone can be sure of his salvation
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Not quite.

The Church says that we can’t be absolute and infallible sure of our salvation unless God specifically gives us special revelation about that. So far, I haven’t seen any burning bushes or archangels telling me where I, Vincent, am in God’s Grace.

Have you?

However, the Church teaches we *can *know we are saved— just not absolute and infallibly. It’s called moral certainty, “knowing beyond reasonable doubt.”
 
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jimmy:
There is a process for someone being declared a saint, it does not happen over night. Not just anyone can be declared a saint. Only the most holy people like Saint Francis of Asissi or Saint John have been named saints.
Click to expand...
Who are the people of the chuch to say who is holy and whois not? I thought we all agreed that only God is omni-present. If you are not omni-present, then how do you know who is “holy” ad who is not?

God’s Peace~
Lisa
 
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JesusFreak16:
Who are the people of the chuch to say who is holy and whois not? I thought we all agreed that only God is omni-present. If you are not omni-present, then how do you know who is “holy” ad who is not?

God’s Peace~
Lisa
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How do you know that Christianity is the right religion? It is the same answer. Because it has been revealed to us by God.
 
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JesusFreak16:
Who are the people of the chuch to say who is holy and whois not?
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The Church of the living God is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. See 1 Timothy 3:15.
 
It is true that we are shown that Christianity is the right faith, but other things are not as simple (if that is simple at all). What I’m saying is that you can’t say how “holy” a person is because you are not omni-present, so you can’t know if one of the saints sinned quietly in his/her room. Only God would know.
If you think God revealed that to you, you may be wrong as we are all human and imperfect.

God’s Peace~
Lisa
 
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JesusFreak16:
It is true that we are shown that Christianity is the right faith, but other things are not as simple (if that is simple at all). What I’m saying is that you can’t say how “holy” a person is because you are not omni-present, so you can’t know if one of the saints sinned quietly in his/her room. Only God would know.
If you think God revealed that to you, you may be wrong as we are all human and imperfect.

God’s Peace~
Lisa
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So if we can’t really know, how does any Protestant “know” he or she is saved?

They don’t…cuz they reveal it to themselves.

Catholics’ assurances are from what God says and does. One of the “requirements” of declared sainthood is the presence of multiple (not just one) miracles, or in the case of martyrs an obvious and indisputable sacrifice of one’s life for Jesus Christ.

Mr S
 
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JesusFreak16:
It is true that we are shown that Christianity is the right faith, but other things are not as simple (if that is simple at all). What I’m saying is that you can’t say how “holy” a person is because you are not omni-present, so you can’t know if one of the saints sinned quietly in his/her room. Only God would know.
If you think God revealed that to you, you may be wrong as we are all human and imperfect.

God’s Peace~
Lisa
Click to expand...
Same answer with Christianity. If you believe God revieled to you that Christianity was true you may be wrong. You have to trust God.
 
Hello Lisa,
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JesusFreak16:
What I’m saying is that you can’t say how “holy” a person is because you are not omni-present, so you can’t know if one of the saints sinned quietly in his/her room. Only God would know.
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Do you believe that the apostles Peter and Paul are in heaven? How do you know?
 
JesusFreak16,

You have used the term “omni-present” at lest two times. The way you have used it does not make it clear to me what you mean!

Would you either chose another word for “omni-present” or define “omni-present” for me, please.

I see from your profile you listed yourself as a Protestant. I happen to know that some Protestant Preachers tell their “congregations” that all of them are saints…as of right now! That’s a fact. How can all those living Protestants be living saints…right now?
:tiphat:
 
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JesusFreak16:
Ok yes, I am quoting myself. I want to clarify that I know that Jesus is the Head of the Church, but on earth people are human and may think that they are influenced by God when they might not be.

God’s Peace~ Lisa
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Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? And do you believe that He works through human beings?

Were all the Scriptures written by humans that may have only thought they were being influenced by God?
 
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