Our Christian word saint derives from the Latin word sanctus, meaning holy or consecrated. The appellation is usually given to a person who has been deemed particularly holy, and in Catholic theology, someone to whom at least three miracles have been attributed. The Roman Catholic Church has a process of determining who should be given this particular title, so to speak.
Paul used the Greek word hagios, which translate to saint, for believers and members of the small Christian communities he had established. We often use the term for a person we think is particularly exemplary, or “sainted.”
So, what is a saint? On this All Saints Day in our Christian calendar, we honor all those who have died in the faith, remembering the many ways they were examples to the rest of us through their lives and their commitment to the Good News Jesus came to give us, namely that we should do justice and show mercy in all our daily doings.
Prayer for the Day
Framer of time and eternity, of history and community,
We thank you for your compassion, for it saves us;
For your wisdom, for it astonishes us;
And for your love, of it undergirds us.
You alone are our rock and salvation,
Our source of health and healing, justice and mercy.
In the name of the One who shared you with us all,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Today it is not enough to merely be a saint. But we must have the saintliness demanded by the present moment, a new saintliness.
Simone Weil, French born philosopher, social activist (1909-1943)
Do not think that saintliness comes from occupation; it depends rather on what one is. The kind of work that we do may not make us holy but rather we make it holy.
Meister Eckart, medieval mystic, philosopher (1260-1328)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every wright and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…
Letter to the Hebrews 12: 1-2a