Saints and Angels

[RNRobert]

Some angels (like Michael and Gabriel) are given the title ‘Saint.’ I’m curious, because I thought that title belonged to Christians who lived a virtuous life and were canonized by the church. Therefore, I thought the title would apply only to humans, and not to supernatural beings. Any comments?

 

[Psalm45_9]

Saints are basically the Holy Ones of God. Thus all angels faithful to God are Saints. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the only ones mentioned by name in the canon. Uriel, Barcheil, Juhdiel, and Sealtiel are mentioned in apocryphal books.

 

[RNRobert]

Psalm45:9:

Saints are basically the Holy Ones of God. Thus all angels faithful to God are Saints. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the only ones mentioned by name in the canon. Uriel, Barcheil, Juhdiel, and Sealtiel are mentioned in apocryphal books.

I realize that the angels are the Holy Ones of God. I am just curious why they are given the title Saints since that term (both in the Bible and in the church) is applied to human beings, not angels.

 

[Exporter]

I wish I had the verse at the tip of my …tongue. I don’t.

But somewhere in the Bible it says all those who are in heaven, excepting the Trinity, are called saints. It reads as, all the saints in heaven before the throne of God… so if Michael is in heaven then he would be St. Michael wouldn’t he?

 

[RobedWithLight]

RNRobert:

Some angels (like Michael and Gabriel) are given the title ‘Saint.’ I’m curious, because I thought that title belonged to Christians who lived a virtuous life and were canonized by the church. Therefore, I thought the title would apply only to humans, and not to supernatural beings. Any comments?

Any righteous being, whether human or angel, as long as they are in the bliss of heaven, deserve to be called saints, and I don’t know of any teaching by the Church which states that only humans can be given such honor. And why not? The angels in heaven have been faithful servants of the Lord for uncountable ages.

Gerry

 

[RobedWithLight]

We can infer that angels are referred to as being the Holy ones of God from Old Testament passages, for instance:

 *"I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, **a holy one,** came down from heaven" (Dan. 4:13). *

Holy one, in the passage cited above, we can be certain, refers to angels, because in Old Testament times, before the coming of the Saviour, no human being has yet stepped foot on Heaven itself, save the angels themselves.

Gerry

 

[James1234]

To be considered a saint by the definition of the Catholic Church one must fulfill 3 requirements. I forgot the last one but remember the two.

1. An individual must be able to perform miracles through the help of God. Like Mother Teresa where she healed many sick Indian kids in New Dehli. Or like St. Patrick who scared of all the snakes off a country.
2. When an individual dies and gets buried, when the body gets excavated you will see the body or part of the body still intact and fresh without decay.
3. I forgot this one.

If anyone can help, let me know.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Saint and Holy both have their root in the Latin word “sanctus”, which means “set apart for a special purpose”. Since both “saint” and angels, through God’s grace, and their free will, fulfill a special purpose, to glorify God, both are worth of the term Saint.