In October of this year Auriesville will be a very busy place when just within walking distance my neighbors at The Auriesville Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, which is a National Roman Catholic shrine right here in Auriesville, New York will host a major event for Catholics. We should be preparing for Roman Catholics to arrive from all around the world for an event that does not happen very often. They will be canonizing Kateri Tekakwitha as a saint.
To canonize a saint is (as I understand it) to declare (a deceased person) to be a saint and entitled to be fully honored as such. The term “saint” is often used to describe a person of exceptional holiness, formally recognized by the Christian Church, especially by canonization. Canonization is a solemn declaration by the pope in which a deceased member of the faithful is proposed as a model and intercessor to the Christian faithful and venerated as a saint on the basis of having lived a life of heroic virtue or having remained faithful to God through martyrdom.
The photo to the left is the only known portrait from the life of Catherine Tekakwitha, circa 1690 by Father Chauchetière. Sometime during the year 1656 she was born within the Ossernenon, Iroquois Confederacy (New France until 1763, modern Auriesville, New York).
Kateri Tekakwitha (pronounced [ˈgaderi degaˈgwita] in Mohawk), originally known as Catherine Tekakwitha informally known as Lily of the Mohawks (1656 – April 17, 1680) was an Algonquin and Iroquois Native American religious lay woman from New France and an early convert to Roman Catholicism. Consequently, she was shunned and exiled by her tribe. She died at the age of 24 after professing her vows of virginity. Known for her chastity and corporal mortification of the flesh, she is the first Native American woman to be venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. Tekakwitha was beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II in 1980. On February 18, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially announced at Saint Peter’s Basilica that Tekakwitha will be canonized on October 21, 2012 So that is what is happening regarding “saints” in our local Roman Catholic activities. I wonder if they will allow a “Tubthumper” to attend.
In the Bible, the word “saints” refers to holy people — holy, however, not primarily in the moral sense, but in the sense of being specially marked out as God’s people.
Many of the letters of the apostle Paul (see Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians) begin with a greeting that includes the word “saints” such as, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.” In such statements, Paul includes all believers in Christ. The saints are God’s possession (Acts 9.13) and God’s beloved (Romans 1.7). They are saints because God has called them: they owe their status to no one but God.
It is in and through Jesus Christ that God has “sanctified” them (1 Corinthians 6.11), or “made them holy,” or “made them saints” (Ephesians 1.1; Philippians 4.21).
Saints are characterized by faithfulness to their Lord (Ephesians 1.1; Colossians 1.2); they are called to endurance in their faith (Revelation 13.10; 14.12). To them has been revealed the mystery of the Gospel of Christ (Colossians 1:26). They are called to conform their lives to God’s holy character; i.e., to live a life that is consistent with their status as saints (Ephesians 5.3). God ministers to the saints (Romans 8.27) and intends that they minister to one another’s needs (Romans 12.13; 2 Corinthians 8.4 and 9.1; Ephesians 1.15, 4.12 and 6.18; Colossians 1.4; 1 Timothy 5.10). The saints will receive a glorious inheritance at Christ’s return (Ephesians 1.18; Colossians 1.12; 1 Thessalonians 3.13; 2 Thessalonians 1.10).
All believers are saints because of the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ. Usually in the New Testament “saints” refers to the corporate church. While the term “saints” designates the Christians living in a certain city or town (as addressed in the greeting of Paul’s letters), most often the term designates all Christians in the entire world (Romans 8.27; 1 Corinthians 6.2, 14.33; Ephesians 1.15, 18).
In this sense, anyone who is within the Body of Christ (i.e., a professing Christian) is a ‘saint’ because of their relationship with Christ Jesus.
Within some Protestant traditions, “saint” is also used to refer to any born-again Christian. It is this definition that I prefer and do consider myself a “saint” do to the fact that I am a “born again” Christian. Just call me “Saint Tubthumper” or “Saint Frank”.
Many emphasize the traditional New Testament meaning of the word, preferring to write “saint” to refer to any believer, in continuity with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.
All that rhetoric above simply leads me to my point on this post. I was finishing up my reading at the end of the Old Testament earlier today in the book of Malachi and I noticed a verse that was profound.
The love of God is being shown through His remembering His own saints: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:16-17).
Wow! A book of remembrance, it is that point that caused my eyebrows to rise. A book of remembrance was written. “This book of remembrance can be looked at as the most glorious record ever kept. God is keeping a “divine diary” that contains all those words of affection to the lord spoken by believers.
What about “when I make up my jewels”? What do you think of that? The Hebrew translation for “jewels” is sebullah, and it means “special, peculiar treasure.”
Isn’t it fantastic to know that God “remembers” His people, His saints, His jewels and all the words of affection we utter? Praise His Holy name!
SING PRAISE TO GOD WHO REIGNS ABOVE!
Let all who name Christ’s holy name give God all praise and glory;
Let all who own His power, proclaim aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from its throne, for Christ is Lord, and Christ alone:
To God all praise and glory.
“Saint Tubthumper”