A Cloud of Witnesses
Saints and Martyrs
From The Holy Land
By
Bishop Demetri M. Khoury
INTRODUCTION
According to the Church Fathers, a saint is simply a Christian who has received an immensely valuable gift from God—the gift of being able to strive toward the “spiritual perfection” of Jesus Christ. Although human beings are imperfect and can never hope to actually achieve such infinite perfection, a few individuals in each historical epoch managed through the grace of God to rise to such a level of spiritual holiness that they were canonized, formally declared to be saints. Canonization occurs when the Holy Church determines that the righteousness of a Christian’s life warrants this special elevation.READ MORE
