Make Friends with the Saints and You’ll Never Be Lonely
Introduction and Part I : What is the Original Christian Understanding of Saints? New book on St. Phanurius Miracles now available.
What is a Saint?
Who are Saints? Why would I turn to them? If I’m going to pray, why wouldn’t I just pray to God?
These are all very common questions in today’s world (not that many are really asking them, unless someone mentions the word “Saint” directly to someone) that is so cut off from what Original Christianity looked like.
Somewhere along the line, after the Papacy went its own way (11th c), the idea was developed that God was angry and therefore Saints were “mediators” — like someone you would send in if you were too afraid to go yourself.
The Protestant Reformers (16th c), knowing only the Papacy’s story (all the Reformers were educated as Papists), threw out that idea. Which is fine in one way, since that idea is incorrect, but they literally threw the baby out with the bathwater and deemed praying to Saints as basically “silly nonsense.”
But not so fast! Our children are growing up with dubious heros, dubious morals, dubious standards, and just plain old confused…..Are people who love God throughout the centuries and do amazing things (Saints) truly silly? And is turning to them for help or having icons on our walls any sillier than putting up a poster of a rock star or screaming at a concert? Really??
So we know the “wrong ideas” about Saints (ie, the go-betweens to an angry God, OR, better to be ignored completely), but what was the ORIGINAL understanding of Saints? Are they people who “do good things”? Have a penchant for extra suffering? Take seriously the idea to love their neighbor? (But, some would argue, anyone can love their neighbor and believe whatever they want, so what makes a Saint a Saint?)
Have you ever thought about the fact that Saints have halos around their heads? The halo signifies God’s uncreated light. A Saint is someone who has become filled with God, with God’s uncreated energy and light. A person who has become UNITED to God.
In this icon we can see Christ (in the middle), the Angels (with wings), the Prophets (in the corners), the Mother of God (to Christ’s right), the Saints (surrounding Christ), and even the Good Thief (middle bottom), with halos. This signifies that they are filled with, and radiating, God’s uncreated light.
Here is a quote from a Saint who lived from 1829–1909 in Russia (before Communism), named St. John of Kronstadt. He wrote:
“When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that God the Trinity looks upon you with eyes brighter than the sun; also all the Angels, your Guardian Angel, and all the Saints of God. Truly they do; for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. Where the sun is, thither also are directed all its rays. Try to understand what this means.”
As the sun is in the sky and we cannot enter into its essence, but we partake of the sun through its rays, that is through its energies, so is our relationship with God. The Saints are those who lived their lives partaking of God’s energies, of God’s uncreated grace, to the point where they become transfigured by His uncreated light.
(How come we aren’t learning this in church? Because most of the churches we know are post-11th century, so they have lost touch with this original understanding.)
St. Phanurius
One beloved Saint in the Orthodox Church is St. Phanurius. He is known to help people find things. Lost things, needed things….like the keys, or a home…or less tangible things, like one’s way, peace of mind, the meaning of life. His icon was revealed on the Island of Rhodes in the early 16th century, and since then he’s been revealing things for people who call upon him, all over the world.
When Christ said to his disciples that now he calls them friends, He said that to all of the Saints who would follow. When He prayed to God the Father concerning the disciples “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us…” (St John 17:21) He was speaking about the Mystery of Sanctification. The call to all of mankind, to each and every person, to be one in God the Holy Trinity.
So naturally, some did say “Yes” to the invitation, and through the process of sanctification, became Saints. And they are not only Christ’s friends and family, but they are ours as well. They love us and want to help us.
This is a short introduction to Saints, in order to give some background on what is coming next.
We recently put together a book which is a collection of “helps” that St. Phanurius did for many contempoary people, along with a short history of the Saint, a service of supplication to him, a short appendix, and an Epilogue titled “Unfailing Mountains of Eternal Love.” The Epilogue explains more about Saints, why we turn to them, and how they are family. The Miracles were compiled over the course of about two decades, and include everything from lost Crosses in the ocean, to lost vehicles, people and pets, to (of course) misplaced keys, and even a child’s doll’s knitted shoe….It’s an amazing collection because so many people, who for the most part don’t know one another, have such a diversity of stories, but are all attesting to the same experience.
I will start sharing a sample of those miracles here, and eventually post the entire Epilogue, to further explain what I was just able to barely touch upon here about Saints. Hopefully these accounts will warm your spirits, knowing that the Saints are just a heart’s cry away from each of us.
If anyone is interested in the book it can be found at: https://www.bostonmonks.com/product_info.php/products_id/999
