What are saints and why pray to saints?
Saints are persons who have died and have gone to heaven. They lived a life of heroic virtue because of their love for Jesus Christ. The saints are the good and faithful servants of the Lord (cf. Matthew 25:21), they are the blessed ones who have inherited the kingdom (cf. Matthew 25:34).
Christians need to be reminded of the saints because although saints are human persons like us, they inspire us to live a life of heroic virtue out of love for Jesus Christ. We ask the saints to pray for us so that we too can live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. We can always pray directly to God, but God has given us the saints to be our helpers. In this life, God always sends people to help us. In the same way, God also sends angels and saints to help us, even if we don’t see them with our eyes.
St. Paul
m. 64-68 AD
Saint Paul (martyred 64-68 AD) Feast Days: January 25 (Conversion of Saint Paul), June 29 (with Saint Peter) From the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (1:11-24) The Father has revealed his Son to me that I might proclaim the Gospel. I assure you, brothers, the gospel I proclaimed ...
St. Sebastian
256-288 AD
Saint Sebastian (256-288 AD) Feast Day: January 20 St. Sebastian was born at a time when the Church was persecuted. Sebastian joined the Roman Guard and used it as a cover to aid the persecuted Christians. After Diocletian became emperor, Sebastian was promoted to commander of the guards, but he ...
St. Agnes
291-304 AD
Saint Agnes (291-304 AD) Feast Day: January 21 From a treatise On Virgins by Saint Ambrose Today is the birthday of a virgin; let us imitate her purity. It is the birthday of a martyr; let us offer ourselves in sacrifice. It is the birthday of Saint Agnes, who is said ...
St. Anthony of Egypt
251-356 AD
Saint Anthony of Egypt (251-356 AD) Feast Day: January 17 Saint Anthony receives his vocation When Anthony was about eighteen or twenty years old, his parents died, leaving him with an only sister. He cared for her as she was very young, and also looked after their home. Not six ...
St. Hilary of Poitiers
315-368 AD
Saint Hilary of Poitiers (315-368 AD) Feast Day: January 13 The Meaning of the Fear of the Lord Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. Notice that when Scripture speaks of the fear of the Lord it does not leave the phrase in isolation, as ...
St. Basil the Great
330-379 AD
Saint Basil the Great (330-379 AD) Feast Day: January 2 By one death and resurrection the world was saved When mankind was estranged from him by disobedience, God our Savior made a plan for raising us from our fall and restoring us to friendship with himself. According to this plan ...
St. Gregory Nazianzen
329-390 AD
Saint Gregory Nazianzen (329-390 AD) Feast Day: January 2 It is a holy thought to pray for the dead What is man that you are mindful of him? What is this new mystery surrounding me? I am both small and great, both lowly and exalted, mortal and immortal, earthly and ...
St. Aelred
1110-1167 AD
Saint Aelred (1110-1167 AD) Feast Day: January 12 Christ：the model of brotherly love The perfection of brotherly love lies in the love of one’s enemies. We can find no greater inspiration for this than grateful remembrance of the wonderful patience of Christ. He who is more fair than all the ...
St. Thomas Aquinas
1225-1274 AD
Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 AD) Feast Day: January 28 The way to come to true life Christ himself is the way, and therefore he says: I am the way. This certainly is eminently right for through him we have access to the Father. Since this way is not separate from ...
St. Francis de Sales
1567-1622 AD
Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622 AD) Feast Day: January 24 From the Introduction to the Devout Life When God created the world, He commanded each tree to bear fruit after its kind; and even so He bids Christians —the living trees of His Church — to bring forth fruits of ...
St. John Bosco
1815-1888 AD
Saint John Bosco (1815-1888 AD) Feast Day: January 31 I have always labored out of love First of all, if we wish to appear concerned about the true happiness of our foster children and if we would move them to fulfill their duties, you must never forget that you are ...
St. Joseph Freinademetz
1852-1908 AD
St. Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908 AD) Feast Day: January 29 The Honor of the Missionary (from St. Joseph Freinademetz 's Handbook of Preachers "The Handbook of Preachers of Lunan Mission," 1895) At the beginning of his redemptive work, Jesus sent Peter and the other apostles to preach the Gospel. Like the ...
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