Saints and Medals- What Idolatry is, and Why We Don't Do It

     I have come across many people in my life who believe that Catholics worship the saints, or worship medals. 

    None of these are true.

    The definition of idolatry is "the worship of idols." This practice is against the Ten Commandments, so it is sinful in any Christian denomination. Some non-Catholics, particularly Protestants, accuse Catholics of worshiping saints or their medals and relics. 

    Saints are, in general, souls in heaven. Canonized saints are holy persons that are in heaven with God, that the Pope decrees to be a person of good example for all Christians, and even non-Christians. Often, these saints have gifts from God. For example, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal's body remained free of decay after death, looking as if she was merely sleeping. She was examined by multiple medical professionals. Many other saints have been found like this as well. Other saints, such as St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, received gifts such as the ability to read souls, bilocation, stigmata (the wounds on his hands and feet identical to the wounds of Jesus when He was crucified), and healing.

    We do not worship these saints, no matter how holy they are, because only God is deserving of worship. We do not worship their saint medals either. These saints are models for us, to inspire us to be better Christians, and better humans in general. 

    We may pray and ask the saints to intercede for us, but we don't pray to them. For example, we could pray "Saint Pio, pray for my recovery." We ask the saints to pray to God on our behalf.

    We do not worship their medals either. They serve as a reminder of the saints, similar to how a photograph reminds you of a special someone. If you have a photo of your mom, you don't worship her, or the photo. It just reminds you of her.

Lent (40 days and 40 nights)

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.  Mark 1:12–13

     

    I felt it would be appropriate to discuss Lent, seeing as there is now 9 days until it begins. Lent is the forty days' fast before Easter. Now, before you go saying "Wow, you have to fast for forty days?" let me explain a little.

    Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14 this year). On Ash Wednesday, Catholics go to Mass and get ashes on their forehead in the shape of a cross. Ash Wednesday is our reminder that our bodies are finite, and we will all return to the dust that we were made of one day. This is not meant to scare us, we have to remember that we are mortal, and cannot live forever. Ashes also symbolize mourning, and we mourn for our sins and the suffering of Christ on the cross.

 On Ash Wednesday, we fast and abstain. Fasting is eating only one full meal all day. Abstaining is not eating meat. 

"Fasting is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and the New Testament. Christ expected his disciples to fast (Mt 9:14-15) and issued instructions for how they should do so (Mt 6:16-18). Catholics follow this pattern by holding a partial fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Abstinence from certain foods is also a biblical discipline. In Daniel 10:2-3 we read, 'In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.' Catholics use a practice similar to Daniel’s when, as a way of commemorating Christ’s Crucifixion on a Friday, they abstain from eating meat on that day of the week during Lent. The only kind of flesh they eat on Friday is fish, which is a symbol of Christ." -Catholic.com

    We do not fast, in the specific sense, for the whole forty days. We fast only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (when Christ was crucified) and we abstain every Friday. Catholics may also have simpler meals during Lent, and not eat many -if any- sweets. 

    Though it is not mandatory, Catholics are strongly encouraged to do some other penance for Lent, such as giving up something that gives you pleasure, or starting a habit of something that will bring you closer to the Lord, such as giving up watching entertainment TV, or spending an hour each day in prayer. If giving something up, you need to set a goal that is in your reach. If you try something too challenging and can't do it, that is a broken promise to God. 

     There is also a feasting season before Lent, which is mostly celebrated in Louisiana. Mardi Gras (a Catholic holiday) is when you feast and celebrate before Lent. Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday when the biggest parades are held, and we feast that day before the day of fasting.

    After Good Friday, it is Holy Saturday, then Easter Sunday, when Lent is over and we can celebrate Jesus' Resurrection.  

     

Introduction to Common Misconceptions and Answers on the Catholic Faith

    Most people think three things about the Catholics: (a) Catholics are crazy! (b) Catholics are hypocrites, or (c) Catholics are evil -this one being most outrageous. I have made it my job to refute these various claims with evidence (because proof does matter), answer questions, and give information on my faith. 

    I understand that some people may have heard various rumors about the Church, or have been raised to believe these rumors, or have even seen firsthand accounts of Catholics acting in a decidedly un-Christian way. I will not presume to say Catholics are perfect, for that would be a lie. All of my posts will be from a practicing Catholic perspective, who does their best to follow Church teaching and present things in a way not to be seen as self-important. 

    I will do my best to answer comments, however, if I cannot fully satisfy you with my explanations, I would recommend visiting the website Catholic.com to get professional answers.