saints with a small ‘s’
Based on a sermon
by Russell Stannard
What comes to mind when you think of saints? Obviously they have to be very holy. They always have a composed, peaceful look on their face. You’ve probably seen paintings depicting St Sebastian. There he stands half naked with arrows stuck in him all over his body, and yet he looks as though he couldn’t care less. One thinks of people with halos round their heads. Saints perform miracles, this being one of the criteria the Roman Catholic Church insist on if someone is to be canonized. The word ‘canon’ means ‘list’. Your name is added to the list of officially recognized saints. Once that happens, you have a special day of the year as your saint’s day. You can have churches named after you. And of course you are no longer referred to as just Peter or Pete, Barnabas or Barnie, but as Saint Peter or Saint Barnabas - with a capital S.
But it was not always like that. Canonisation only started in the second half of the second century, and even then was reserved only for martyrs - those who had given their life in the cause. It was only at the end of the 4th century that the practice of canonisation was extended to include those who had not been martyred.
But of course the word ‘saint’ - with a small ‘s’ - was in use long before then. The New Testament is full of references to the saints. Each year on All Saints Day we recapture that earlier understanding of what it was to be a saint. It is a day when we recognise and give thanks for the lives of all saints, whether or not the church chooses to canonise them.
After all, during their lifetime, there was nothing special to distinguish those who were later to be canonised from those who were not. They, of course, did not have halos; they did not go around with their hands pressed together in permanent prayer; they did not always wear a peaceful, untroubled look on their faces. They looked just like you and me, and to a large extent they behaved like you and me.
The saints were human; they had their faults. Peter was impetuous; he was always acting without weighing up the consequences of his actions. He kept on putting his foot in it. Paul could be unforgiving. He fell out with the young man Mark. Barnabas interceded on Mark’s behalf, but Paul was unforgiving. Paul’s attitude towards women left a lot to be desired. Fair enough he was just conforming to the custom of the day. Nevertheless, it did not occur to him that this went against the spirit of the gospel message. No, even those who were later officially recognised as saints were far from perfect.
Given that to be the case, what makes for a saint? It is the fact that they have at least one spiritual quality in abundance; they have it on an heroic scale. When we think of them, that particular quality comes to mind and makes us think that we should strive to be like them, at least in that regard. Peter for instance had great insight. He was the first to recognise that Jesus was not just an ordinary man but was the Son of God - the Messiah. Paul had the vision that Christ came for all peoples, everywhere on earth - not just for Jews. He had the zeal of the missionary. Barnabas? He was the great encourager. He was positive; he saw the best in people (as we noted in that incident involving Mark and Paul). Mary the mother of Jesus? Humble submission to the will of God. Though she must have been terrified at the prospect of people, including Joseph, thinking she had been a loose woman - having a child that was not that of her future husband - she humbly agreed to go through with it. These were qualities on an heroic scale.
But what about saints today? Where do we find the equivalent now? Everywhere. Perhaps you are one. Yes you have your faults. If you don’t know what they are, I am sure your husband, or wife, or your friends will be only too willing to tell you what they are! But that is beside the point. All saints - even those with a capital ‘S’ have faults. No, the question is: Do you have a particular spiritual quality in abundance?
By that, I do not mean can you preach, can you engage in theological arguments, can you write learned books about spiritual matters, or anything of that sort. There are many spiritual gifts. Your gift, for example, might be patience - the ability to put up with things such as devoting yourself uncomplainingly to looking after someone else, or carrying out some mundane but essential task. Your gift might be as a listener - someone to whom people can bring their troubles. Your gift might be humility. Your gift might be generosity.
When people think of you, do they immediately think of some particular spiritual quality? Do people wish they could be more like you in that particular regard? If so, you are well on the way to being a saint - a saint with a small ‘s’.
Based on a sermon
by Russell Stannard
What comes to mind when you think of saints? Obviously they have to be very holy. They always have a composed, peaceful look on their face. You’ve probably seen paintings depicting St Sebastian. There he stands half naked with arrows stuck in him all over his body, and yet he looks as though he couldn’t care less. One thinks of people with halos round their heads. Saints perform miracles, this being one of the criteria the Roman Catholic Church insist on if someone is to be canonized. The word ‘canon’ means ‘list’. Your name is added to the list of officially recognized saints. Once that happens, you have a special day of the year as your saint’s day. You can have churches named after you. And of course you are no longer referred to as just Peter or Pete, Barnabas or Barnie, but as Saint Peter or Saint Barnabas - with a capital S.
But it was not always like that. Canonisation only started in the second half of the second century, and even then was reserved only for martyrs - those who had given their life in the cause. It was only at the end of the 4th century that the practice of canonisation was extended to include those who had not been martyred.
But of course the word ‘saint’ - with a small ‘s’ - was in use long before then. The New Testament is full of references to the saints. Each year on All Saints Day we recapture that earlier understanding of what it was to be a saint. It is a day when we recognise and give thanks for the lives of all saints, whether or not the church chooses to canonise them.
After all, during their lifetime, there was nothing special to distinguish those who were later to be canonised from those who were not. They, of course, did not have halos; they did not go around with their hands pressed together in permanent prayer; they did not always wear a peaceful, untroubled look on their faces. They looked just like you and me, and to a large extent they behaved like you and me.
The saints were human; they had their faults. Peter was impetuous; he was always acting without weighing up the consequences of his actions. He kept on putting his foot in it. Paul could be unforgiving. He fell out with the young man Mark. Barnabas interceded on Mark’s behalf, but Paul was unforgiving. Paul’s attitude towards women left a lot to be desired. Fair enough he was just conforming to the custom of the day. Nevertheless, it did not occur to him that this went against the spirit of the gospel message. No, even those who were later officially recognised as saints were far from perfect.
Given that to be the case, what makes for a saint? It is the fact that they have at least one spiritual quality in abundance; they have it on an heroic scale. When we think of them, that particular quality comes to mind and makes us think that we should strive to be like them, at least in that regard. Peter for instance had great insight. He was the first to recognise that Jesus was not just an ordinary man but was the Son of God - the Messiah. Paul had the vision that Christ came for all peoples, everywhere on earth - not just for Jews. He had the zeal of the missionary. Barnabas? He was the great encourager. He was positive; he saw the best in people (as we noted in that incident involving Mark and Paul). Mary the mother of Jesus? Humble submission to the will of God. Though she must have been terrified at the prospect of people, including Joseph, thinking she had been a loose woman - having a child that was not that of her future husband - she humbly agreed to go through with it. These were qualities on an heroic scale.
But what about saints today? Where do we find the equivalent now? Everywhere. Perhaps you are one. Yes you have your faults. If you don’t know what they are, I am sure your husband, or wife, or your friends will be only too willing to tell you what they are! But that is beside the point. All saints - even those with a capital ‘S’ have faults. No, the question is: Do you have a particular spiritual quality in abundance?
By that, I do not mean can you preach, can you engage in theological arguments, can you write learned books about spiritual matters, or anything of that sort. There are many spiritual gifts. Your gift, for example, might be patience - the ability to put up with things such as devoting yourself uncomplainingly to looking after someone else, or carrying out some mundane but essential task. Your gift might be as a listener - someone to whom people can bring their troubles. Your gift might be humility. Your gift might be generosity.
When people think of you, do they immediately think of some particular spiritual quality? Do people wish they could be more like you in that particular regard? If so, you are well on the way to being a saint - a saint with a small ‘s’.