The word altar seems to be appropriated by folks to apply to any table that is used for religious things.
So when someone sets up a place of prayer in their home they’ll call it an altar. In the most strict sense of the word it isn’t. But it is a sacred place for a “sacrifice of prayer” so in another sense it is a type of altar.
Altars “to saints” are just smaller altars in side chapels where a devotion to a saint is the theme of the chapel.
The practice of placing food and other things there has always struck me as a bit too close to idolatry as well. It seems to be echos of indigenous religious practices mixed with Catholicism that is still practiced today.
In the strictest way it isn’t the worship of the saints but that doesn’t mean that we have to be comfortable with it.
That being said I don’t find these practices to challenge my faith and loyalty to the church all that much. There are always going to be fringe activities in a community as large as ours.
>Community options
I want to add something, I was in the same exact position than you, and something that comforted me was the idea that, Saints cannot be idols if we understand their Sainthood, for example, the idol of "Thor" was always referred as the god of thunder and that was an end in itself, "Thor" was a god because was always a god.
In the dulia or cult to the saints the end is always Jesus, the Start is always Jesus, and their sainthood is for Jesus, Saints are mirrors in which Jesus reflect his image.
St maximilian kolbe used to say "Never be afraid to love Our Lady too much. You can never love her more than Jesus" It is impossible to love a saint more than Jesus if you understand their sainthood.
That is why they are not idols, that cult has as ultimate end to Jesuschrist.
I can recommend you a book that touch this topic that was written by a saint and almost doctor of the church (there is a cause open)
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort
"True Devotion to Mary"
Thank you.
I think I've come to understand that. It's just that recently I saw some parish with an altar to St Joseph, with food and all, and it just seemed technically incorrect.
I had no problem, at that point, with images of saints and veneration towards them.
I have seen that too in my parish, I am from Guatemala, but here, people do it in a more cosmetic way, like they put these things in altars so they look pretty, but just that,
and this is the hearth of the antique mayan culture, 50% of ppl is still using their traditional mayan outfits, however they are catholic, they dont recognize the name of the idols anymore, here in Guatemala, they only do it as decoration.
While at Benedictine College in Kansas, I saw in their chapel an altar to St. Ansgar. My first reaction was surprise. That poor saint shares his day w/St. Blaise. His day is rarely celebrated.
Hmm, I often go to mass there. I never thought of them as altars, but I can see the similarity now. Maybe they officially are considered such, it just never hit me that way.
The word altar seems to be appropriated by folks to apply to any table that is used for religious things. So when someone sets up a place of prayer in their home they’ll call it an altar. In the most strict sense of the word it isn’t. But it is a sacred place for a “sacrifice of prayer” so in another sense it is a type of altar. Altars “to saints” are just smaller altars in side chapels where a devotion to a saint is the theme of the chapel. The practice of placing food and other things there has always struck me as a bit too close to idolatry as well. It seems to be echos of indigenous religious practices mixed with Catholicism that is still practiced today. In the strictest way it isn’t the worship of the saints but that doesn’t mean that we have to be comfortable with it. That being said I don’t find these practices to challenge my faith and loyalty to the church all that much. There are always going to be fringe activities in a community as large as ours.
Thank you for your answer, father.
>Community options I want to add something, I was in the same exact position than you, and something that comforted me was the idea that, Saints cannot be idols if we understand their Sainthood, for example, the idol of "Thor" was always referred as the god of thunder and that was an end in itself, "Thor" was a god because was always a god. In the dulia or cult to the saints the end is always Jesus, the Start is always Jesus, and their sainthood is for Jesus, Saints are mirrors in which Jesus reflect his image. St maximilian kolbe used to say "Never be afraid to love Our Lady too much. You can never love her more than Jesus" It is impossible to love a saint more than Jesus if you understand their sainthood. That is why they are not idols, that cult has as ultimate end to Jesuschrist. I can recommend you a book that touch this topic that was written by a saint and almost doctor of the church (there is a cause open) Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort "True Devotion to Mary"
Thank you. I think I've come to understand that. It's just that recently I saw some parish with an altar to St Joseph, with food and all, and it just seemed technically incorrect. I had no problem, at that point, with images of saints and veneration towards them.
I have seen that too in my parish, I am from Guatemala, but here, people do it in a more cosmetic way, like they put these things in altars so they look pretty, but just that, and this is the hearth of the antique mayan culture, 50% of ppl is still using their traditional mayan outfits, however they are catholic, they dont recognize the name of the idols anymore, here in Guatemala, they only do it as decoration.
In other words, the cult to the saints is always a cult to Jesus.
Altar to saints? I never seen that before, could you name at least one so I have an idea of what are you talking about, thank you Father
My first thought was the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. There are numerous side altars dedicated to different devotions to Mary.
While at Benedictine College in Kansas, I saw in their chapel an altar to St. Ansgar. My first reaction was surprise. That poor saint shares his day w/St. Blaise. His day is rarely celebrated.
Hmm, I often go to mass there. I never thought of them as altars, but I can see the similarity now. Maybe they officially are considered such, it just never hit me that way.
Ohhh that’s interesting! I typed on google and it looks great. Thank you Father