Who is the greatest saint after Saint Joseph

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Thank you. I read it this morning too briefly and it was too early for me to understand I think, but I reread it just now and see they are saying St Joseph and our Blessed Mother are part of the new covenant belonging to the Kingdom of God and therefore they are greater than John because he’s part of the OT (but I’m guessing he’s a saint in Heaven too) and when Jesus spoke of him being lesser than those in the Kingdom He was talking about all the saints in Heaven (I thought He referred to only divine beings like angels). I understand what they’re saying I just can’t see how they are reading that into Jesus one sentence since I can’t see it being hinted at.
But, I don’t have the great theological mind of Pope Benedict and others so I’ll leave it at I don’t understand.
Maybe I’ll return to it another time. Thank you again for sharing the article.
 
Well God alone receives full worshipful adoration - Latria.

Mary alone receives hyper veneration, the highest honors - hyperdulia.

So we know God and Jesus are on their own level, and the Most Glorious Ever-Virgin Theotokos Mary is on her own level.

I would actually rank St. Joseph as being equal with the other greatest Saints for the #3 position in the heavenly court. IMO, it’s a toss up between Sts. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Elijah, David, John the Baptist, St. Joseph, and Sts. Peter and Paul.

I don’t rank the Archangels or Prince Michael with them because he’s not a human soul, he’s an angel. As far as the angelic hierarchy goes, obviously Michael is at the top.
 
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The Latin Church’s devotion to St Joseph only gradually became what it is today. It’s interesting that it took us many centuries to fully appreciate how great St Joseph is. I believe his feast only became a universal feast in the late medieval period. He was only declared patron of the universal Church within the past couple centuries. Our devotion to him has truly grown.

In the East, St John the Baptist (Forerunner) is definitely venerated second to none after the Theotokos (Our Lady). Traditional icons in the East, and even many older Western icons I believe, show Our Lady on the Lord’s right and St John the Forerunner on his left.

Think on this: only three people came into this world as living “saints” free of original sin. We celebrate only these three birthdays liturgically: Our Lord’s, Our Lady’s, and St John’s.

I have great devotion to St Joseph. I think he’s amazing. But St John is definitely up there too.
 
St. Francis rebuilt the Church, he received that message at San Damiano. The Church was falling into disrepair. And he came what? Around the year 1100-1200, so about halfway to where we are now time wise.

The greatest Saint imho is going to be St. Francis. Not 2nd… well, I mean, Mary would be the greatest Saint going this route.

And in the end, after Mary and maybe even in including Her, I’m not sure one can say who is the greatest. Some Saints have given their very lives as martyrs. What more could they give?

But in the narrow parameters we are using, I’d say St. Francis of Assissi easily. He rebuilt the Church and was a bit of a Christ-like figure himself, attaining the stigmata.


Ive read the thread, it almost seems like every Saint mentioned is contemporaneous to Jesus or like St. Michael the Archangel, mentioned in the Bible. This is sort of the way, Protestants see Saints.
 
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People seem to have more reverence to St. Joseph (including me) than to St. John the Baptist though. After the Mother of God, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus seems to be the next greatest honor.
 
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The greatest saint after St. Joseph? That’s a tough call. Although, I do know for certain who is “The Greatest Saint of Modern Times.”

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“Humility” is a Catholic value we are taught.

To deem one as the greatest, is a difficult issue from that perspective.
 
I agree that none of these saints, not John the Baptist or Joseph or Therese or Padre Pio or anyone, would want to be thought of as “the greatest” anything.

Remember what Jesus said to the 12 when they all showed up quarreling about which one of them was “the greatest”. It’s human moments like that, that make me love the Gospels.
 
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