Saints, Dead And Alive

SUN., OCT. 29, 1989, 5:56 AM
FARM, STUDY

At your church this is a day to remember saints. All of those named and represented, with the possible exception of My servant Theresa, will have passed on from earthly life, and thus it is safer to acknowledge these as saints. This shall be an interesting experience for a church of rational Protestants. After all, saints are pretty much a “creation” of Catholics and Orthodox. So, before you are part of this morning’s celebration, hear what I, the Holy Spirit, have to say about saints.

Saints develop or appear in two ways, with some obvious overlap. The common attribute is that all are highly developed souls who have been able to serve Me in ways quite obvious to others. Some I have deliberately raised up for purposes of Mine. Many of these have been reluctant or seemingly unprepared, but, with some prodding, they have done what I wanted done, with spirits varied but still pleasing to Me. And, yes, there have been a few would-be saints whom I called but who did not respond in ways pleasing to Me. In the spirit of free will I have allowed these to fail. It is quite an “art” to know when to allow human unwillingness to prevail over My desires… and when to, in effect, “create” a saint by constant pressures.

The other “way” in which saints develop is by their own initiative, in response to My general call for service. Some developed souls just find or develop a niche in life that others recognize and acknowledge as saintly. It is rare that this service is acknowledged during the person’s actual earth life, but this is of no consequence to the person. Being a saint is not something to feature on your vita. It is ultimately satisfying to lead a saintly life, and “official designation” is often more embarrassing than pleasing, for humility is a common trait of saints.

There are saints alive in the earth today, even in Protestant churches. Few would be acknowledged, for the earth is a realm of criticism. My life as Jesus as criticized and I was put to death by the will of good, religious people. My disciples would not have been named saints unanimously as they lived their lives. And thus it is today. Some live saintly lives and yet are not “perfect” in all of their actions.

Some are designated as saints because of miracles attributed to them. Yes, I do allow a few genuine miracles to happen in the earth, and some individuals do get credit for these. Depending on the setting and the circumstances, skepticism and doubt may overshadow the happening so that its miraculous nature is denied. Occasionally ordinary circumstances are seen as a miracle, and credit is given undeservedly. I can’t control all of these happenings and their interpretations and maintain the earth as the realm I want it to be.

I must now mention, at least, the most liberal interpretation of sainthood. All who have accepted My grace, all who have been baptized and have partaken of My main sacrament, Holy Communion, with a loving spirit, can be called saints. Judgments on miracles and sacrificial services are not necessary. I offer. You accept. I call you saints. That shall not be popular, but I like it, as an interesting alternative to the highly restrictive definition.

There have been and presently are many who I call saints because of their quiet dedication to Me. They are in all parts of My Body, the church. Some are outside the church. Some serve and acknowledge Me in other religious and spiritual ways. Some act somewhat like saints. Some do not. It is difficult for humans to judge accurately the spirit of another. I can do this easily. Hence, I call more saints than are recognized “officially.”