Old Testament Saints question

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Guang

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Protestant here, trying to learn/understand.

Seems to be that the best Scriptural argument in favor of praying with departed Saints is in the life of our Lord Jesus Himself, during his Transfiguration, when Moses and Elijah talked to Him.

My question is: Are Old Testament notables, such as Moses and Elijah, or the ones listed in Hebrews 11, considered to be Saints in the Catholic Church? Are they included in, say, Lives of the Saints or other semi-official lists? If yes, can someone please point me to a list so I can see who is considered to be a Saint. If no, why not? If it doesn’t really work like that, can someone please explain how it does work?

Thanks.
 
Well there is a considerable amount here. First a saint is any soul which made it to heaven, regardless if we know about it. The Catholic Church recognizes some saints via reasonable proof of intercession. I would say to you the best scripture in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16) but varies bibles change that story to inject Hades. They do so to support denying purgatory. But none the less in that story the dead rich man begs to intervene into the lives of his living brothers. The point being this interaction between the dead and the living, in that story Lazarus is a saint capable of intervening into others lives.
 
Guang said:
Protestant here, trying to learn/understand.

Seems to be that the best Scriptural argument in favor of praying with departed Saints is in the life of our Lord Jesus Himself, during his Transfiguration, when Moses and Elijah talked to Him.

My question is: Are Old Testament notables, such as Moses and Elijah, or the ones listed in Hebrews 11, considered to be Saints in the Catholic Church? Are they included in, say, Lives of the Saints or other semi-official lists? If yes, can someone please point me to a list so I can see who is considered to be a Saint. If no, why not? If it doesn’t really work like that, can someone please explain how it does work?

Thanks.
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Yes, most of the Old Testament notables are considered saints.

Texas Roofer is also right to point out that there are two relevant senses of the word “saint” here. On one hand, it really means anybody who is in Heaven. On the other, people mostly have in mind “canonized saints,” whom the Church specifically recognizes and declares to be in Heaven and promotes as models of virtue.*

Although there is no “official complete list of saints” (in the second, narrower sense), the best and most complete resource is the book called the Roman Marytrology (Marytrologium Romanum), which is arranged by date, telling us which saints have their feast celebrated on which day. I don’t think the most recent edition is available online, but on December 18, for instance, we observed the feast of St. Malachi the Prophet.

*And then there is also a third sense of the word in which it applies to people on earth, which Paul was using in 2 Cor. 1:1 among other places. The English word “saint” comes from the French, and the French from Latin; it simply means “holy,” a generic enough expression, which explains why the term “saint” is used to mean different things in different specific contexts.
 
A google search looking for the Roman Martiology I found this. It seems old but correct. I checked a few dates with my calander and the first one on the list was the correct feast day. It does happen to be in Latin but google translate is decent :compcoff: (I think. I don’t speak Latin :confused: ) Have fun with it. I’m not sure but mabe you could do a search for the patriarchs. :eek:

liturgialatina.org/martyrologium/35.htm
 
Little more looking I found this:

INDEX NOMINUM SANCTORUM
QUORUM LOCUS IN MARTYROLOGIO NON INDICATUR

Abraham patriarcha. 9 octobris.

Which google translates:

Index of Saints
Whose place in the Martyrology does not indicate

The patriarch Abraham. 9 October.

I’m sure the others could be found to but it might be hard.

Source: liturgialatina.org/martyrologium/34.htm
 
Thank you for the resources/links and info

So people do take OT Saints as Patron Saints as well? Are the OT Saints looked at any differently than the NT Saints as far as prayer partner suitibility?
 
No, OT saints are perfectly fine. They go in and out of popularity depending on people’s likes and needs and fellow feelings, just like other saints do.

The interesting bit is that, because Jesus went down to Sheol to preach to the patriarchs and the other dead, (as in the Apostle’s Creed “He descended into hell”), many OT sinners are celebrated as redeemed NT saints. For example, St. Adam and St. Eve have their feast day on December 24, David’s a saint, and so forth. Their feast days are usually associated with either Jewish and Greek traditions about their death days, or with Christian holidays which have symbolic connections to them. (Like Biblical verses, etc.)

If you look on an old list of saints’ days, bear in mind that they would often use Greek versions of names (Malachias, Isaias, Helias) instead of the Hebrew ones you’re used to seeing.
 
I’ve never heard of Moses being referred to as St. Moses or heard of anyone asking him for help. Would like a good example, please.
 
We rarely hear St. Moses, nothing wrong with it, but usually it is more common to say Moses the Prophet, or something like that for the Old Testament figures.
Moses is commemorated on September 4 in the Roman Martyrology.

The most common occasion we hear them invoked is during the Litany of the Saints where sometimes their names are explicitly mentioned (usually Abraham, Moses and Elijah) although more commonly the lump-sum “All ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets” invocation is used.
 
St. Elijah the Prophet is very popular among Eastern/Oriental Catholics/Orthodox of the Middle East. He is also highly regarded among the Carmelites in our own Latin tradition…as I understand it, the feast of St. Elijah is celebrated as a joyful solemnity by all Carmelite priests and religious…
 
twf said:
St. Elijah the Prophet is very popular among Eastern/Oriental Catholics/Orthodox of the Middle East. He is also highly regarded among the Carmelites in our own Latin tradition…as I understand it, the feast of St. Elijah is celebrated as a joyful solemnity by all Carmelite priests and religious…
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Correct, for O.Carm.'s July 20th is the Solemnity of St. Elijah. For OCD’s I believe it is a Feast.

O.Carm also celebrates a memorial of St. Elisha on June 14th.
 
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