WHY SAINTS?
The veneration of saints is vital to the life of the Holy Orthodox
Church, because the existence of saints affirms that it is truly possible to fulfill the
Christian vocation --- to become conformed to the image of Christ. Every Christian is
called to be a saint: Christ commanded us to perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
The saints worked hard to achieve that spiritual perfection, and are the Church’s
Olympic champions–--gold medal winners. They cooperated with God in doing His will,
and allowed the Holy Spirit to fill them and use them. They achieved this blessed
condition through their great spiritual exercises: by prayer, fasting, abstinence,
repentance, receiving the Holy Mysteries (sacraments); by living lives of simplicity,
humility, love,
patience, purity and obedience; by
reading the Bible, the Church Fathers, the lives of the saints; and most especially, by
allowing God’s love to overflow through them to all creation. The saints (such as
the newly-glorified Russian saints depicted in the icon to the right) dedicated their
lives to loving God above all else, serving Him according the talents they received. Their
"job descriptions" varied, but they always served the world around
them–--as simple lay men and women and as princes and princesses; as monastics,
priests and bishops and as writers, translators, artists and missionaries; as spiritual
directors, healers of body and soul, wonder-workers and as "fools-for-Christ."
They persevered and endured much to acquire the gifts of the Holy Spirit
--- to become humble, patient, kind, gentle, joyful and peaceful ––- their
hearts on fire with divine love. The saints were given the spiritual vision to see
God’s activity in the world around them, to see the icon of Christ within each human
being, and to be continually aware of being in God’s Presence. They truly lived the
transfigured and resurrected life to which we are all called. When pain, sickness,
disappointment, sorrow and suffering occurred, the saints endured it with patience, with
firm trust in God’s love and holy 
will. They allowed their trials and
tribulations to be a means of achieving purity of heart, so that they might see God and
become ever more like Him. The saints were human beings like us, and achieved what we all
are supposed to achieve, as did the recently glorified elders of the Optina
Pustyn/Monastery (see the icon to the left). There are countless thousands of
saints known only to God, but those whom we do know to glorify as saints are role models
for us, showing us how to live the Christian life of working diligently to acquire the
Holy Spirit and to be conformed to the Image of Christ.
The saints also are eager to help us with their
prayers and frequently intervene on our behalf. Because of their pure and holy lives, the
saints frequently were given spiritual gifts of healing, clairvoyance and powerful,
effective prayer. Often the saints were "Wonder-Workers" -- they worked miracles
-- both before and after their falling asleep in the Lord. Sometimes their bodies
participated so much in their holiness, that after death their bodies remained
"incorrupt" (their flesh never rotted). Countless miracles have occurred as a
result of touching the holy relics (bodies) of the saints.
The presence of the saints around us is a profound
blessing. As we get to know them more, they can become our friends, and we can turn to
them to help us overcome problems. They can help us to achieve our Christian calling to
become saints -- that is, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to live resurrected and
transfigured lives, to dedicate our lives to serving God, and to become living icons,
conformed to the icon of Christ within us.
- FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAINTS AND THEIR LIVES,
- This article was written by Jane M. deVyver, M.Th., Ph.D.
The icon at the top was painted/written by Fr. Theodore Jurewicz, of Erie, Pennsylvania,
and is located in St. Innocent of Irkutsk Orthodox Church in Redford, Michigan.
- The other icons are examples of contemporary iconography in Russia.
If you liked this
article, you might be interested in the FIREBIRD book, RECENTLY
CANONIZED ORTHODOX SAINTS: Their Lives and Icons, from which, in large
part, this article is excerpted. We now have a vastly expanded 3rd edition.
Also see our other section, ARTICLES:
Icons & Relics, for further discussion about saints, icons and relics.
You also might be
interested in the video, PILGRIMAGE
TO HOLY RUSSIA, Part 1, in which the lives of a
number of saints are briefly told, while showing views of the places where their relics
are located.
The audio track that accompanies the visual portrayal is comprised of a narration
that tells of the lives of some saints, plus beautiful, well-integrated sacred music.
ST. INNOCENT/
