Why do Lutherans venerate Saint Teresa of Avila?

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JesuXPIPassio said:
Yup.

resurrectionpeople.org/saints.html
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I can go on websites and find biographies about all sorts of people. that does not imply the editors of those sites, or their patrons, venerate those persons.

the simple statement of introduction gives the reason, that Lutherans consider all those who follow Christ to be saints. notice the many non-Catholic figures including many who figured prominently in the Reformation and beyond such as Luther and Wesley

nothing on your link, nor on the supporting sites suggests that the authors of the site venerate them as in fostering personal devotion and prayers to any of those personages. Nor btw do the authors of the site claim to be propounding definitive doctrine binding on all Lutherans.
 
gcnuss said:
We Lutherans commemorate the lives of many saints, remembering as examples of holiness and faithfulness. This is different from venerating them.
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It is my opinion you feel the same way about saints as we Catholics. It is just a matter of semantics. Check this link. catholic.com/library/Saint_Worship.asp

The main difference is that we Catholics believe that the Saints are still members of the Body of Christ, and as they are in Heaven, their prayers are more powerful than ours. That is why we ask the Saints to pray for us or whatever our intentions are. catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp
 
St Therese of Avila is the co-founder of the Discalced Carmelites…St. John of the Cross wrote the epic, ‘Dark Night of the Soul’, which was greatly loved by John Paul II.

St. Therese and St. Catherine of Siena were women doctors of the Church. I have read both some of their works and prefer them to St. John’s writings.

St. Catherine of Siena is especially clear in ‘The Dialogues’ on the spiritual walk to union with God (perfection)…both women and others in the Dominican and Carmelite tradition use the form of the Ascent–going up to Christ, climbing the mountain of the Lord, Psalm 24.

I have a contemplative side and have drawn on the Ascent for a number of years, but I am returning to my Franciscan-association roots…they have the Descent as their model…it is really a model more for the Church than individual spiritual study…the Descent is going down to the feet of Christ and His Humanity, and serving and loving Him in one’s neighbor through penance and joy and great love of all and everything of creation.

I think we have our individual side – our ascent up the Holy Mountain of the Lord in following Christ, and we have the gospels through St. Francis in building the church and renewing and restoring creation through faith in Christ.
 
joplee said:
It is my opinion you feel the same way about saints as we Catholics. It is just a matter of semantics. Check this link. catholic.com/library/Saint_Worship.asp

The main difference is that we Catholics believe that the Saints are still members of the Body of Christ, and as they are in Heaven, their prayers are more powerful than ours. That is why we ask the Saints to pray for us or whatever our intentions are. catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp
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We Lutherans also believe that the Saints (or saints) are still members of the Body of Christ. I guess the main difference is that we believe that while the saints in heaven may pray for the Church Militant we are not certain that they can hear our prayers and, thus, pray specifically for us.
 
joplee said:
It is my opinion you feel the same way about saints as we Catholics. It is just a matter of semantics. Check this link. catholic.com/library/Saint_Worship.asp

The main difference is that we Catholics believe that the Saints are still members of the Body of Christ, and as they are in Heaven, their prayers are more powerful than ours. That is why we ask the Saints to pray for us or whatever our intentions are. catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp
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Lutherans would agree that the saints are still members of the Body of Christ, as the Church Triumphant, and that they continue to pray for us. Where we differ would be regarding their ability to hear and respond to our individual prayers, as scripture makes no specific claim about it. But in many other ways, I too believe it is often a matter of semantics.

Jon
 
JonNC said:
Lutherans would agree that the saints are still members of the Body of Christ, as the Church Triumphant, and that they continue to pray for us. Where we differ would be regarding their ability to hear and respond to our individual prayers, as scripture makes no specific claim about it. But in many other ways, I too believe it is often a matter of semantics.

Jon
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Good answer, Jon.😃
 
That’s a very catholic (in the ‘universal’ sense) and eclectic list, which includes:

Martin Luther (great leader and reformer, not a saint)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (great leader,* not *a saint)
Bonhoffer
Various Anglicans
Kierkegaard
Tyndale
Wesley
Calvin
Other Protestant reformers and evangelists
Dag Hammarskjold
Florence Nightingale,
Handel, Schutz, Bach and other hymnwriters
Various Orthodox
Various RC saints
Saints of the New Testament
Early Church Fathers

…get all of them together in one room and watch the fur fly!
 
JonNC

I came across this one, studied several links…it gives the best explanation and also means to secure a true understanding of the Word of God for today…in union with the will of God, always the goal of prayer.

I learned Lectio Divina through the lay Carmelites, in particular Chris Hart, who has a brief article on it. Here is one with a thorough guideline to help you discern that you are getting a true inspiration/reflection corresponding to the Word of God…

www.carmelite.org/indox.php?nuc=content&id=72

It does not discuss any other religious denomination but I think it would work well with anyone.
 
I saw that one as well earlier but didn’t have time and lost link name…it is excellent.
 
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