Allerheiligen

Wat is Allerheiligen?

Allerheiligen eert de heiligen in de hemel – zij die door de Kerk als heiligen zijn erkend, maar ook zij die niet heilig zijn verklaard. Het feest werd in Rome ingesteld toen de keizer het Pantheon (de tempel voor alle goden) aan de Kerk schonk en het opdroeg aan de heilige Maria en alle martelaren. Dit volgde het principe, “Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat!” (Christus overwint, Christus regeert, Christus beveelt (geeft richting)). Zo werden in het hele Middellandse Zeegebied veel kerken gebouwd op heidense plaatsen, om ze te heiligen voor Christus. De kerk viert Allerheiligen op 1 november.

Wat is Allerheiligen (deel 2)

Het feest viel oorspronkelijk op de datum van de inwijding van het Pantheon, 13 mei 609, en op de datum van een reeds bestaand feest in het Oosten. Het werd later verplaatst naar de huidige datum op de Romeinse kalender, waar het wordt gevolgd door de herdenking van alle zielen, dat wil zeggen de rechtvaardige doden die worden gezuiverd in het vagevuur.

Wat is het verschil tussen Allerzielen (2 Nov) en Allerheiligen (1 Nov)?

Allerheiligen is ter ere van de mensen die in de hemel zijn. Allerzielen herinnert ons eraan te bidden voor de heilige zielen in het vagevuur die de hemel nog niet hebben bereikt.

Wat is precies een Heilige?

Moeder Angelica zei: “Heiligen zijn gewone mensen die Jezus liefhebben, proberen als Hem te zijn, trouw zijn aan de plichten van hun levensstaat, zich opofferen voor hun naaste en hun hart en geest vrij houden van deze wereld.” Een gecanoniseerde heilige is iemand die, na zorgvuldige overweging, formeel door de Kerk wordt erkend als zijnde bij God in de hemel. Hiertoe behoren de heilige engelen, de Rechtvaardigen van de Oude Wet (Koning David, de profeten, enz.), heilige mannen en vrouwen die in het Nieuwe Testament worden genoemd (Maria, Jozef, de Apostelen, enz.), alsmede degenen die in de vroege Kerk werden erkend door hun naam in de canon van de Mis op te nemen (canonisatie). In het tweede millennium werd dit proces van “heiligverklaring” formeler.

Zijn alle zielen in de hemel heiligen?

Ja. De Kerk heeft sommige mensen heilig verklaard, maar er zijn ontelbare anderen die nooit als in de hemel zijn erkend, noch in de vroege Kerk, noch door een formeel heiligverklaringsproces.

Zijn er nog levende heiligen?

Koning Herodes de Grote, een niet-jood die het Davidische koningschap van Christus slechts kon opvatten als een bedreiging van zijn eigen koningschap, probeerde het Kind ter dood te brengen. Mattheüs 2:13-15 vertelt ons,

“Toen nu de wijzen vertrokken waren, zag een engel des Heren Jozef in een droom verschijnen en zeide: “Sta op, neem het kind en zijn moeder, en vlucht naar Egypte, en blijf daar tot ik u zeg, want Herodes staat op het punt het kind te zoeken”. Het woord “heilige” betekent heilig, zodat Paulus naar de rechtvaardigen van de verschillende kerken verwijst als ‘de heiligen van die kerken’ (vgl. Ef. 1,1; Fil. 1,1). Maar zoals de Kerk het formeel gebruikt, kunnen zij die nog in leven zijn hun staat van rechtvaardigheid nog verliezen door ernstige zonde, en zelfs in die toestand sterven. Daarom wordt het woord “heilige” gewoonlijk gereserveerd voor hen die tot aan hun dood in de rechtvaardigheid zijn volhard en als zodanig door de Kerk worden erkend, zowel om hen te eren als om hen aan de Kerk voor te houden als een voorbeeld van navolging van Christus. En hij stond op en nam het kind en zijn moeder bij nacht, en vertrok naar Egypte, en bleef daar tot de dood van Herodes. Dit was om te vervullen wat de Heer had gesproken door de profeet: “Uit Egypte heb Ik mijn zoon geroepen.”

Zijn er niet-katholieke heiligen?

De Kerk heiligt alleen katholieken als voorbeelden voor de gelovigen, maar erkent dat mensen die de waarheid van het katholieke geloof niet kennen, toch voor Christus kunnen leven en sterven. In de 20e eeuw loopt het aantal niet-katholieke martelaren onder de nazi’s en de Sovjet-Unie alleen al waarschijnlijk in de vele duizenden, evenals de ontelbare miljoenen die trouw hun geloof in en liefde voor Jezus beleefden. Ook deze rechtvaardigen zijn bij God, en net als katholieken wordt elke onvolkomenheid in hun gemeenschap met Christus en zijn Kerk volmaakt geheeld in het vagevuur.

“Laten wij dan, nu wij door zo’n grote wolk van getuigen omringd zijn, ook alle gewicht en zonde, die ons zo aankleeft, terzijde leggen en met volharding de wedloop lopen, die ons is opgelegd…” – Hebreeën 12:1

Moet je bidden tot heiligen?

Ja. Als wij onze vrienden en familie vragen voor onze intenties te bidden, waarom zouden wij dan niet ook degenen die het dichtst bij God staan – de heiligen, de engelen en vooral de heilige Maagd – vragen voor ons te bidden? God is immers niet de “God van de doden, maar van de levenden, daar allen in Hem levend zijn” (Lucas 20:38).

Kunnen de heiligen ons gebed horen?

Ja, dat kunnen zij. Hoewel de heiligen geen oren hebben om te horen, kunnen wij in God tot hen bidden en “gehoord” worden, net zoals wij dat tot Hem kunnen.

Wie is het meest gewaardeerde lid van de gemeenschap der heiligen?

Maria, de Moeder van God, is de meest geëerde heilige. Zij is in feite de Koningin van de Hemel en Koningin van de Heiligen.

“Wij moeten er niet naar streven een grote heilige te zijn om een grote heilige te zijn. Het doel van de heiligen is om zo dicht mogelijk bij God te komen, niet omwille van zichzelf, maar omwille van Hem. Het doel is om eer en glorie aan God te geven, en om het zelf totaal te vergeten.” – Moeder Angelica

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Is praying to saints biblical?

Sacred Scripture shows us that saints do intercede for humans on earth.

For example, Revelation 6:9-10 says,

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

We also see explicit mention of the role of the angels accompanying the prayers of the faithful in Rev. 8, and implicitly that of human beings in Rev. 4, where the 24 crowned elders, standing for the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles, the just of the Old and the New Covenant, share in Christ’s kingly and priestly function.

Rev. 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. (cf. Tobit 12:15-22)

“Do not be afraid to be saints. Follow Jesus Christ, who is the Source of freedom and light. Be open to the Lord so that He may lighten all your ways.” – St. John Paul II

Is it wrong to worship saints?

Yes. Only God should be the object of our worship. When we worship anything or anyone other than God, we are sinning against the first commandment.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says,

Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God…. (CCC 2113)

Why do Catholics pray to saints?

The saints, who are in the Beatific Vision, are better capable of praying for us than we are. They are no longer able to sin, and their close relationship with God allows them to intercede well for our intentions. Also, the fact that they are shown praying for us in Rev. 6 and with having crowns in Rev. 8, symbolizing Christ’s own kingly and priestly role, shows that their work for the kingdom did not stop at death.

Why do we ask the saints to intercede for us?

Lumen gentium, paragraph 49, says,

For by reason of the fact that those in Heaven are more closely united with Christ, they establish the whole Church more firmly in holiness, lend nobility to the worship which the Church offers to God here on earth and in many ways contribute to its greater edification. For after they have been received into their Heavenly home and are present to the Lord, through Him and with Him and in Him they do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, showing forth the merits which they won on earth through the one Mediator between God and man, serving God in all things and filling up in their flesh those things which are lacking of the sufferings of Christ for His Body which is the Church. Thus by their brotherly interest our weakness is greatly strengthened.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 956, references the above passage as well as these two quotes from saints:

“Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.” – St. Dominic, on his deathbed, speaking to his brothers.

“I want to spend my Heaven in doing good on earth.” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” – St. Francis of Assisi

Why are there saints?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The communion of saints is the Church” (CCC 946).

And Lumen gentum paragraph 50, says,

When we look at the lives of those who have faithfully followed Christ, we are inspired with a new reason for seeking the City that is to come and at the same time we are shown a most safe path by which among the vicissitudes of this world, in keeping with the state in life and condition proper to each of us, we will be able to arrive at perfect union with Christ, that is, perfect holiness. In the lives of those who, sharing in our humanity, are however more perfectly transformed into the image of Christ, God vividly manifests His presence and His face to men. He speaks to us in them, and gives us a sign of His Kingdom, to which we are strongly drawn, having so great a cloud of witnesses over us and such a witness to the truth of the Gospel.

Why do Catholics have saints?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The communion of saints is the Church” (CCC 946).

And Lumen gentum paragraph 50, says,

When we look at the lives of those who have faithfully followed Christ, we are inspired with a new reason for seeking the City that is to come and at the same time we are shown a most safe path by which among the vicissitudes of this world, in keeping with the state in life and condition proper to each of us, we will be able to arrive at perfect union with Christ, that is, perfect holinesLumen gentium, paragraph 50, says, “Fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead…”

God has blessed us, as the Church on earth, with the Communion of saints. The saints both intercede for us and provide us with wonderful examples of Christian piety.s. In the lives of those who, sharing in our humanity, are however more perfectly transformed into the image of Christ, God vividly manifests His presence and His face to men. He speaks to us in them, and gives us a sign of His Kingdom, to which we are strongly drawn, having so great a cloud of witnesses over us and such a witness to the truth of the Gospel.

“You cannot be half a saint. You must be a whole saint or no saint at all.” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Why are saints important to Catholics?

Lumen gentum paragraph 50, says,

For just as Christian communion among wayfarers brings us closer to Christ, so our companionship with the saints joins us to Christ, from Whom as from its Fountain and Head issues every grace and the very life of the people of God. It is supremely fitting, therefore, that we love those friends and coheirs of Jesus Christ, who are also our brothers and extraordinary benefactors, that we render due thanks to God for them and “suppliantly invoke them and have recourse to their prayers, their power and help in obtaining benefits from God through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and Saviour.” For every genuine testimony of love shown by us to those in Heaven, by its very nature tends toward and terminates in Christ who is the “crown of all saints,” and through Him, in God Who is wonderful in his saints and is magnified in them.

Why are saints important to Catholics?

While the official Martyrologium Romanum (2004) lists many thousands of saints and blesseds by name, it recognizes tens of thousands only as “companions” of named martyrs. For example, in the case of the Martyrs of Vietnam, Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions, there are estimated to be somewhere between 130,000 to 300,000 martyrs in that persecution. All are considered canonized and honored, even though only a few are known by name. Thus, the actual number of the canonized is unknown, just as the number of uncanonized saints is innumerable, as all who are in Heaven are Holy.

It is likely, as well, that there are far more holy angels than holy human beings. The Fathers who spoke of the matter held, based on Rev 12, that one third of the angels fell, and based on the aptness of the Divine Justice, that human beings would take their places.

VIDEOS ON ALL SAINTS

Is Veneration worship?

This indicates “Jesus, Mary, Joseph.” Sometimes Catholics will use this to begin letters oSince “veneration” indicates deep respect, this is not worship. The word venerate comes from the Latin word “venerari,” which means “love.” We venerate (love and respect) the saints, but we only worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

In fact, the Church understands the 4th Commandment (5th in some Protestant lists), as obliging not just honoring our natural fathers and mothers, but also those whom God’s Providence has placed in relationship over us as natural and spiritual fathers and mothers, in civil society, and in the Church, on earth, and in Heaven. Thus, St. Paul could say to the Corinthians that he was their father through the Gospel (1 Cor. 4:15; 2 Cor. 12:14-15), and Catholics call priests “Father.”r to sign them, which is written in honor of the Holy Family.

What does IHS mean?

We venerate (honor and respect) the saints because they are our Heavenly friends. They intercede for us much better than another human being on earth is capable of doing, since they are in God’s presence.

Also, the saints are great examples to us of living out our Christian vocations. We can see the courage of the martyrs and the wisdom of the Doctors of the Church. We see strength, innocence, piety, and tenacity. As Pope St. Clement I said, “Follow the saints, because those who follow them will become saints.”

Are statues a form of idolatry?

No, they are not. Just as you might display pictures of your family, statues of the saints remind us about their stories and help us to emulate their holiness. Since we love the saints as our heavenly friends, it stands to reason that we would want to think of them often.

The Council of Trent says,

Moreover, that the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, are to be had and retained particularly in temples, and that due honour and veneration are to be given them; not that any divinity, or virtue, is believed to be in them, on account of which they are to be worshipped; or that anything is to be asked of them; or, that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old done by the Gentiles who placed their hope in idols; but because the honour which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which those images represent; in such wise that by the images which we kiss, and before which we uncover the head, and prostrate ourselves, we adore Christ; and we venerate the saints, whose similitude they bear… (Council of Trent, Section 25, Decree 2)

“There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future.” – St. Augustine

What is a relic of a saint?

First-class relics of saints are the physical remains, such as flesh, bone or blood. Second-class relics are items that were regularly used by saints and holy people. Third-class relics are items that have been touched to first-class relics. There are also relics that are associated with Jesus, such as the True Cross and other relics of the Passion.

To ensure against abuses in this matter, the Church controls the distribution of relics for legitimate purposes. She also requires formal ecclesiastical documentation of its authenticity before it can be used in any public veneration.

Why do Catholics keep relics?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics…” (CCC 1674).

In addition to the teachings of Catholic Tradition, relics are clearly mentioned in Sacred Scripture. In Acts of the Apostles, we read this account:

“And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them” (Acts 19:11-12).

It is important to note that God is credited with these miracles, not St. Paul. God chose to work these miracles through the relics of a saint.

In addition, Acts 5 says,

“Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them” (Acts 5:12-15).

In this case, they only wanted St. Peter’s shadow to fall on them in order to possibly be healed.

It stands to reason that the saints are associated with these miracles. In John 14:12, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.”