The Church’s Love for the Saints¹
The Church’s Love for the Saints¹
The Church’s love for the saints is manifested in various ways through which the Church expresses its reverence, appreciation, and love for those saints of all kinds: apostles, martyrs, shepherding fathers, monastic fathers, nuns, and holy women. In this context, we mention the following points:
1- Building churches in their names.
All our churches bear the names of angels, saints, and holy women. Among the most famous angels is Michael the Archangel. Among the most famous apostles upon whose names churches are built are Saint Mark in our churches in Egypt, and the two apostles Peter and Paul. Among the most famous holy women whose names churches bear are the Virgin Saint Mary, then Saint Demiana, Saint Rebecca, Mother Dolagy, and Saint Barbara. Churches are also built in the names of monastic saints, the most famous being Saints Anba Antony and Anba Paul, the three holy Macarii, and Saints Anba Pachomius, Anba Shenouda, and Anba Moses the Black. Among the most famous patriarchs and bishops after whom churches are named are Saint Athanasius the Apostolic and Saint Anba Abraam, Bishop of Fayoum…
Among the most famous martyrs whose names churches bear are Saint George, Saint Mina, Saint Philopater Mercurius (Abu Sefein), and Prince Theodore. Churches may be built in the names of two saints, or the church may bear the name of one saint while each of its altars bears the name of another saint.
2- Even patriarchs, bishops, and priests are named after them.
All this is done in blessing through the names of the saints, out of love for them, and with a desire to receive blessing from their names and to take them as examples in shepherding and in personal conduct. Also, many lay people are named after saints out of love for them. And whoever does not receive a saint’s name in his birth certificate is given one in baptism.
3- Out of our love for the saints, we adorn our churches with their icons.
On the northern side of the sanctuary, we always place an icon of the Virgin Saint Mary, and on the southern side an icon of Saint John the Baptist. Above the sanctuary, we place the icon of the Last Supper and icons of the twelve apostles.
We adorn the iconostasis with many icons of saints, including the icon of the patron saint of the church. During the Palm Sunday procession, we pass by specific places in all directions of the church where certain saints are mentioned. In some of our churches, there are very many icons covering all the walls of the church or the monastery.
Some icons are painted with oil, some with mosaic, and some with other materials in which artists excel. Many artists became famous in history solely because they were icon painters.
4- Before the icons of the saints, we place candles and offer incense.
We place candles as a symbol that the saint was a light in his life, melting in order to enlighten others. Also, the candle burns with the oil from which it is made, and oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. In this we remember that the saint was a light to others through the work of the Holy Spirit in him.
We offer incense to icons that have been consecrated with the holy myron. By their consecration they have become holy icons. We only consecrate icons of saints recognized by the Church and whose names are found among the saints of the Synaxarium and the liturgical books of the Church.
5- Out of our love for the saints, we celebrate their feasts.
Every day in the Synaxarium, the Church commemorates a particular saint or a number of saints. There are monthly feasts: we celebrate the Virgin Mary on the 21st of every Coptic month, and the Archangel Michael on the 12th of every Coptic month.
We usually celebrate the saint on the day of his departure or martyrdom, according to the verse: “Consider the outcome of their conduct and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Some saints have feasts commemorating the building of a church in their name, the finding of their head, or the transfer of their relics. As for the Archangel Michael, we celebrate him on the commemoration of a miracle he performed. And the Virgin Mary has many feasts on various occasions.
6- We offer vows and sacrifices in the names of the saints.
This happens on their feasts or in fulfillment of a vow that was granted through their intercession. Among the famous vows is the “Angel’s Bread” (Feteer al-Malak), which some make on the feast of the Archangel Michael and distribute to relatives, friends, and neighbors, who understand that a miracle was likely performed through the name of the Archangel Michael, prompting this vow.
Many sacrifices are offered on the feasts of Saint George in his church at Mit Damsis, in his monastery at Al-Riziqat, and in many of his churches. Many sacrifices are also offered on the feast of the Virgin at the Muharraq Monastery. Many baptisms are performed during the feasts of the saints as fulfillment of vows.
7- Out of our love for the saints, we chant hymns, doxologies, and praises for them.
On the feast of the saint and at every commemoration of him, the people sing these praises and hymns, both ancient and newly composed, in which his virtues or miracles are mentioned, along with requests for his prayers and intercession.
The doxologies and psalis written in the Coptic language and set to melody are recited on the feasts of the saints and on many occasions, and in the daily Midnight Praise, just as we mention the three holy youths in the Third Hoos every day, and Moses the Prophet in the First Hoos, and many angels and saints in the Morning Doxology…
8- We also mention the saints in the Divine Liturgy in the Commemoration of the Saints.
We mention them according to their orders: apostles, martyrs, champions of the faith, patriarchs, and monastic fathers. Sometimes we add the hymn “Pi-nishti,” in which we also mention many holy fathers and ask for their prayers and intercessions.
As for the Commemoration in the Psalmody, it contains more names and more categories. It includes many holy women, as does the Commemoration in the Kiahk Psalmody and the praises of the month of Kiahk.
9- The liturgical readings are often arranged according to the feasts of the saints.
All church readings—whether the Pauline, the Catholic Epistle, the Acts, the Psalm, or the Gospel—relate to the feast of the saint and to his name if it appears in the Holy Gospel.
There are special readings for the Virgin Mary, and specific shared readings for feasts of the apostles, patriarchs, shepherds, martyrs, or holy mothers, etc.
10- We mention the saints because they were examples of every virtue.
Every virtue we want to imitate has in the life of a saint a supreme example. The Holy Bible may present a commandment, but the life of the saint presents the practical application of the commandment. Yet the imitation of the saints in their conduct must be guided, because what the saints reached after great struggle over many years and through special grace cannot be imitated by a beginner in the life of virtue.
11- Out of our love and respect for the saints, we continually remember their place before God.
How God granted them the ability to perform miracles in His name and gave them authority over all demons. He accepted their intercessions, as He accepted the intercession of our father Abraham (Genesis 18), and the intercession of Moses the Prophet (Exodus 32), and allowed Elijah the Prophet to shut the heavens and open them (James 5). The stories are many. And His promise to our fathers is sufficient: “He who honors you honors Me.”
These saints had great boldness before God. God revealed this, as He said of Moses the Prophet: “My servant Moses… he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in dark speeches; and he sees the form of the Lord.” (Numbers 12:7–8).
God revealed His mysteries to them. He spoke to them in visions and dreams. He sent angels to rescue them from tribulations, as He did with Daniel, sending His angel to the den to shut the lions’ mouths (Daniel 6:22). He sent an angel to deliver Peter from prison (Acts 12). He sent two angels to lead Lot and his family out of Sodom so they would not perish in its fire (Genesis 19). These stories are very numerous.
12- As we honor the saints, we remember the work of the Holy Spirit in them.
They were temples of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit worked in them without obstruction because they lived in constant fellowship with the Spirit. The Spirit worked with them, in them, and through them, with power and without hindrance.
13- When we remember our saintly fathers, our souls become humble.
We fully realize that whatever virtue we practice cannot be compared to their wondrous and exalted virtues, and that we are nothing beside them!
No matter how much we pray, we cannot pray like Saint Arsanius the Great. No matter how much we fast, we cannot fast like Saint Macarius of Alexandria. No matter how much we give in alms, we cannot reach the level of Saint Anba Abraam, Bishop of Fayoum. No matter how much we defend the faith, we cannot do as Saint Athanasius the Apostolic did. No matter how much we preach and teach, we cannot labor in evangelism as Saint Paul the Apostle did. Thus our souls become humble, and the wars of pride and vain glory depart from us.
14- Our study of the lives of the saints drives us toward growth.
We constantly feel that before us stand supreme ideals we have not yet reached, and many degrees we have not yet ascended. So we strive to grow, placing before us the words of the Apostle Paul: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14).
¹An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine – Year 25 – Issues 33 & 34 (12-9-1997)
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