In scripture, the word saint simply means “holy one.” Paul writes to “the saints in Corinth,” meaning the whole community of believers, not a spiritual elite. Holiness in that sense is not perfection but a life turned toward God’s love.
In Catholic and Orthodox traditions, saints are formally recognized for lives that have revealed that love in extraordinary ways. The process of canonization lifts up certain people as examples of holiness, lives through which God’s grace shone brightly.
Many Protestant traditions hold a broader view. Saints are not the few who were canonized, but the many who have lived faithfully in their own quiet ways, the teachers, parents, friends, and neighbors who made love visible in ordinary life.
To honor the saints is to remember that holiness is not rare. It is as near as the next act of kindness, courage, or compassion.
