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===The Saints of the Lord as admirable Heroes of the Faith===

===The Saints of the Lord as admirable Heroes of the Faith===

A kind of hero-worship of reverence and great respect (''dulia'') is accorded the great names of the Bible''':''' <ref>For example Sirach 44–50.</ref> Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Samson, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, Josiah, Judith, Esther, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Michael, Gabriel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Judas Maccabeus, John the Baptizer, Peter, Paul, James, and John. The [[Orthodox Church]] celebrates the names of Old Testament saints along with New Testament saints as persons worthy of great reverence and veneration (''dulia'') as the honored servants of God.<ref>[https://www.behindthename.com/names/tag/orthodox_saints Names categorized as Orthodox saints (behindthename.com)]</ref> Mary the [[Theotokos]] is accorded the honor of ''hyperdulia'' above all other saints and angels. Jesus is worshiped with ''latria'' as God the Son of the Father, equal in dignity to Him and the Holy Spirit, as One God, the Blessed [[Trinity]].

A kind of hero-worship of reverence and great respect (''dulia'') is accorded the great names of the Bible''':''' <ref>For example Sirach 44–50.</ref> Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, [[Moses]], Joshua, Deborah, Samson, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, Josiah, Judith, Esther, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Michael, Gabriel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Judas Maccabeus, John the Baptizer, Peter, Paul, James, and John. The [[Orthodox Church]] celebrates the names of Old Testament saints along with New Testament saints as persons worthy of great reverence and veneration (''dulia'') as the honored servants of God.<ref>[https://www.behindthename.com/names/tag/orthodox_saints Names categorized as Orthodox saints (behindthename.com)]</ref> Mary the [[Theotokos]] is accorded the honor of ''hyperdulia'' above all other saints and angels. Jesus is worshiped with ''latria'' as God the Son of the Father, equal in dignity to Him and the Holy Spirit, as One God, the Blessed [[Trinity]].

While the Old and New Testaments of the Bible also praise the faithful believers of the individual congregations of Israel and of the body of Christ as the saints of the Lord, the [[canonization|canonized]] [[saint]]s, both men and women, especially the [[martyrs]], are the heroes of the Christian faith, worthy of reverent respect and admiration (''dulia''). They stand as the "standard", the "canon" of the measure of the man of God,<ref>Ephesians 4:11-16</ref> who surround the faithful saints on earth as a "cloud of witnesses".<ref>Hebrews 11:1–12:13</ref> Those Christians past and present who have done and even now are doing splendidly admirable works of good<ref>John 14:12-14</ref>, especially to the poor and sick, to orphans and widows, to the violently persecuted, those Christians who defend the right, who protect the defenseless, and support just legislation on behalf of human life and dignity and freedom of conscience and of worship, are worthy of admiration and sincere imitation, who cause many to give thanks and praise to the one true God (''latria'').  

While the Old and New Testaments of the Bible also praise the faithful believers of the individual congregations of Israel and of the body of Christ as the saints of the Lord, the [[canonization|canonized]] [[saint]]s, both men and women, especially the [[martyrs]], are the heroes of the Christian faith, worthy of reverent respect and admiration (''dulia''). They stand as the "standard", the "canon" of the measure of the man of God,<ref>Ephesians 4:11-16</ref> who surround the faithful saints on earth as a "cloud of witnesses".<ref>Hebrews 11:1–12:13</ref> Those Christians past and present who have done and even now are doing splendidly admirable works of good<ref>John 14:12-14</ref>, especially to the poor and sick, to orphans and widows, to the violently persecuted, those Christians who defend the right, who protect the defenseless, and support just legislation on behalf of human life and dignity and freedom of conscience and of worship, are worthy of admiration and sincere imitation, who cause many to give thanks and praise to the one true God (''latria'').