Some Theological Quotes 'about' The Saints

[kafka]

Right now I am reading "Models of Revelation" by Avery Dulles and I ran into some neat quotes from various theologians describing the Saints that I would like to share. They are taken from Chapter six title "The Church: The Bearer of Revelation." The context is the relationship between Divine Revelation and the Church. The points about the Saints Dulles is making is that Christian sanctity is a preeminent sign of Christ's presence with the Church. The Saints are a distinguished and revelatory (little 'r') sign of the effects of the Holy Spirit working through the Church in various circumstances throughout salvation history:

Here are the quotes, I thought were nifty:

"A saint is he who reveals God's might. Saints are such as show forth clearly and plainly in their lives and in their very being that God lives.
~Nathan Söderblom

"They are the initiators and creative models of the holiness which happens to be right for, and is the task of their particular age. They create a new style."
~Karl Rahner

"The saints are the persons who are transparent to God who is revealed through them; and they are able to enter a revelatory constellation as mediums."
~Paul Tillich

Perhaps my favorite of the bunch:

"The saints are the tradition at its most living, tradition as the word is meant whenever Scripture speaks of the unfolding of the riches of Christ."
~Hans Von Balthasar (in other words he is making a connection between the Saints and the Living Tradition and the Living Scripture.

"Bernard, and Francis, Ignatius and Teresa, were like volcanoes pouring forth molten fire from the inmost depths of Revelation."
~also Von Balthasar.


To round the point off Dulles says, "Their holiness testifies not to their own personal achievement but to the Lord whom they seek to serve. Of any saint it may be said: 'He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light'"

Edited February 25, 2009 by kafka

[AccountDeleted]

Thank you - that was very interesting to read.

[Era Might]

Here is a great quote from an address by Pope Benedict during World Youth Day 2005:

[quote]The saints, as we said, are the true reformers. Now I want to express this in an even more radical way: only from the saints, only from God does true revolution come, the definitive way to change the world.

[url="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2005/august/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20050820_vigil-wyd_en.html"]http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict...gil-wyd_en.html[/url][/quote]

[kafka]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1794257' date='Mar 1 2009, 11:06 AM']Here is a great quote from an address by Pope Benedict during World Youth Day 2005:[/quote]
very nice. Thanks for sharing.

[phatcatholic]

era might .... you quote church documents better than anyone i know. i haven't been around in a while. good to see ur still kickin it.