Few thoughts on being a canonised saint:
- You have to be a Christian in full communion with the Catholc Church
- You have to show you are in heaven and prayers work
- You have to be inspire to other Christians to heroic virtue
One of the things I like about Rome is that so many Church's are promoting the beatification of a member of their parish.
Err..., If I were bishop I think I would I set up a group of priests and lay people to investigate the possibility of the canonisation of parishioners.
There are so many people who really do live heroic lives. Although modern funerals seem to want to canonise everyone, as soon as they are dead they are forgotten. I think if we were on the look out for potential candidates for canonisation we might have a clearer theology of death and also of simple Christian living and see sanctity as the basic Christian vocation. We need heroes and heroines, and they are out there. I think we also need to encourage cults of some of the faithful departed, to maintain the memory of the community.
I always think that is one of the reason why a priest should be permanently, as far as possible, attached to a parish. One of his roles is the "rememberancer of the community", he should know the candidates for "sainthood" in his parish.
4 comments:
Well father,when you move to Westminster you will have free reign to do as you like! The campaign is still running even if it seems to have gone quiet!
You are absolutely right Father, it really is wonderful to have one priest associated with a Parish for as long as possible (easy for me to say who have a very special priest in our parish).
The children warm to a priest who is a familiar face in their lives.
Only one problem - when the Parishioners and the Priest are not all that well suited and yet they are be stuck with eachother (purgatory on earth), OR just change your Parish.
A*hem.. Father Ray, don't forget that some of the Old Testament prophets are also considered Saints. Elijah for one. See this link here. He's had a feast since at least the 4th century.
Our local near by Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic church also has him depicted as "St. Elijah"-- there are other iconographic paintings of other Old TEstament figures rendered.
Karen
Karen
Don't forget the part about needing to dead first. I think that's rather important.
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