ORTHODOX TEACHINGS

The saints are the family we have been given. They are members of the Body of Christ who, in their own lifetimes, drew so close to God that their lives became visible icons of what holiness looks like. They are not heroes of a distant past. They are part of the Church we belong to now.

Our Cloud of Witnesses

Scripture tells us we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). The Orthodox Church takes this seriously. Death does not sever the bonds of Christian love, and the saints who have gone before us continue to pray for the Church on earth, just as we pray for one another here.

The saints come from every conceivable circumstance, which is part of the point. St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute. St. Moses the Ethiopian was a violent man before he was a peaceful one. St. Nektarios was falsely accused and died in obscurity. St. Porphyrios was sick most of his life. Elder Paisios bore chronic illness with joy. The pattern of their holiness is recognizable across all of them; the shape of their lives is unmistakably their own.

Saints teach us that sanctity does not require a particular temperament, vocation, century, or set of advantages. It requires Christ.

Understanding Veneration and Prayers

When Orthodox Christians ask the saints for their prayers or take their names at baptism, we are not worshipping them. Worship belongs to God alone. We are honoring the members of our family who have gone ahead, and we are asking those who have grown close to Christ to pray for us, in the same natural way we might ask a trusted friend or a wise elder to pray for us in a difficult time.

When we venerate and kiss the icons of saints, we are expressing our love for them and respect for their communion with Christ. This is as natural as kissing a photo of a cherished loved one who is far from you.

Saints in Our Parish Life

Our parish is dedicated to and named for the Holy Apostles. These twelve were ordinary people: fishermen, a tax collector, men of small means, who were transformed by their encounter with Christ. They doubted, denied, misunderstood, ran. And Christ, who knew exactly what He was doing when He chose them, made them the foundation of the Church.

We are asked to do what they did: to answer when Christ calls, from wherever we happen to be standing when He does.