SAints are so important to the Church that i feel  they deserve a special topic .

In the Middle Ages ( my speciality ) life  in all its aspects   was governed by Saints.

What most of my students  and  not only students often dont  understand that Saints are Intercessor with Christ ( a kind of lawyer they advocate your case )
A lot of people think that the Saints act themself , that was 1 of the  heavy mistakes of the Protestants in accusing  the Church saying the Church had 1000 sends of Gods .


Perhaps highly symbolic as this site is American based that today 4 januari  is the  day of an American Saint St.Elizabeth Ann Seton.

a good ( of many ) link is
http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/saintday/index.html

and
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm

and
http://www.catholic-pages.com/dir/saints.asp

and of course

http://www.catholic.org/saints/

and
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook3.html

in my    next   mail i will post more links about Saints





turanclancath

The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints

The Famous LEGENDA AUREA ( circa 1260 ) on the net

turanclancath

With Saints  goes also Relics and Pilgrimages.

I would love to give( and receive of course ) information on these topics.

I hope Rick you in due time can give Saint,Relics and Pilgrimage an special tread like the other great treads  they deserve it i think and not under other subjects.

Pilgrimage.

As i live in theNetherlands its eaysyer to go on Pilgrimage/visit  to Rome,Assisi Lourdes etc as we did.

I start to tell you an experience at Lourdes when we I( my wife Maria and our youngest  Sebastian  yes yesterday was St.Sebastian ) were there.

I was very moved to see the disabled crippled  people there to pray for  help and intercession.

I think whoever would criticize it   they dont come for fun but from bitter sadness and hope.

Imagine the disabled arrive in a kind of Dog card  pulled a volunteer .

Really Gods wreckage drifted a shore to this holy place.

I made the vow to go  as a volunteer  once.

I did drink the Lourdes water  and  yes i felt tranquile happy and very good.
And that is no autosuggestion as critics like to say.

I could write more ( i,m f delighted  of the subject Saints etc )
but mails should be short in my opinion ( readable ) and not becoming litterary Filibusters ( i know my American history ).

So tomorrow Deo Volente more.
Stay well.

turanclancath