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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Legends of Saints	Michael	Monday, July 23, 2007
Question: By taking very popular and legendary saints of the calendar, like Sts. George, Valentine, and Christopher, the Church would seem to be discouraging the veneration of these saints because what we know about their lives is based on pious legend and not historical fact. But for centuries, the Church knew this and let them remain on the calendar anyway. But how do we venerate saints when we know nothing about them? Is it ok to venerate the Saints of the legends? To invoke the help of St. George the dragon slayer or St. Christopher who carried Christ on his shoulders or St. Anne, when we really don't even know the name of Mary's mother or what she did? How can it be beneficial to pray to myths? Everyone knows dragons don't exist for example, but every icon of St. George I've ever seen shows him slaying a dragon. George is a saint because he was a Syrian martyr, but he is invoked as a martyr and a dragon slayer. Aren't we then praying to a mythical figure, and not to the saint whose actual life bore no resemblance to the legend? I guess the same could be said for St. Michael, since what we know about him comes from the apocrypha, which isn't necessarily true.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Michael: The Church is not discouraging veneration of the Saints you mentioned or of any other Saint. By making these men and women "Saints" the Church is saying that they are worthy of veneration. That is the meaning of "Saint". That is why the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are "Saints". Calling them "Saints" means that the Church considers them worthy of veneration and devotion. The General Calendar only has only so many days on it available for Feast Days to celebrate Saints. Thus, the Church must place on the Calendar only those Saints of whom we know the most about and who are the most venerated universally. This does not mean that a Saint removed from the Calendar is de-sainted or no longer recommended for veneration. It only means that there are only so many spots on the Calendar and thus only those most pertinent to the whole Church, or the whole Latin Rite (Eastern Rites) can be placed. But the General Calendar for the Latin Church is not the only Calendar. Each diocese can have its own Calendar, and each parish, each religious order, and each family, and each person. So in addition to the General Calendar, the diocesan and parish Calendars may contain other Saints not on the General Calendar. You can include on your personal Calendar Saints to whom you have a personal devotion. So no one is left out in terms of the Saints you wish to venerate. As for knowing about the Saints, the Calendar does not give biographies so you will not find that information on the Calendar. There are many books that give brief bios of Saints. There is also a website that has a Patron Saints Index where you can learn about Saints. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Legends of Saints

Michael

Monday, July 23, 2007

Question:

By taking very popular and legendary saints of the calendar, like Sts. George, Valentine, and Christopher, the Church would seem to be discouraging the veneration of these saints because what we know about their lives is based on pious legend and not historical fact. But for centuries, the Church knew this and let them remain on the calendar anyway.

But how do we venerate saints when we know nothing about them? Is it ok to venerate the Saints of the legends? To invoke the help of St. George the dragon slayer or St. Christopher who carried Christ on his shoulders or St. Anne, when we really don't even know the name of Mary's mother or what she did? How can it be beneficial to pray to myths?

Everyone knows dragons don't exist for example, but every icon of St. George I've ever seen shows him slaying a dragon. George is a saint because he was a Syrian martyr, but he is invoked as a martyr and a dragon slayer. Aren't we then praying to a mythical figure, and not to the saint whose actual life bore no resemblance to the legend? I guess the same could be said for St. Michael, since what we know about him comes from the apocrypha, which isn't necessarily true.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Michael:

The Church is not discouraging veneration of the Saints you mentioned or of any other Saint. By making these men and women "Saints" the Church is saying that they are worthy of veneration. That is the meaning of "Saint". That is why the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are "Saints". Calling them "Saints" means that the Church considers them worthy of veneration and devotion.

The General Calendar only has only so many days on it available for Feast Days to celebrate Saints. Thus, the Church must place on the Calendar only those Saints of whom we know the most about and who are the most venerated universally.

This does not mean that a Saint removed from the Calendar is de-sainted or no longer recommended for veneration. It only means that there are only so many spots on the Calendar and thus only those most pertinent to the whole Church, or the whole Latin Rite (Eastern Rites) can be placed.

But the General Calendar for the Latin Church is not the only Calendar. Each diocese can have its own Calendar, and each parish, each religious order, and each family, and each person.

So in addition to the General Calendar, the diocesan and parish Calendars may contain other Saints not on the General Calendar. You can include on your personal Calendar Saints to whom you have a personal devotion.

So no one is left out in terms of the Saints you wish to venerate.

As for knowing about the Saints, the Calendar does not give biographies so you will not find that information on the Calendar.

There are many books that give brief bios of Saints. There is also a website that has a Patron Saints Index where you can learn about Saints.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum