The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
What is a Saint? (Series Spoilers)
Mira:
--- Quote from: Quantus on June 07, 2017, 12:57:57 PM ---I dont know, I think that just sounds too easy, too much like the Old "For a man with only a Hammer, everything is a Nail." Harry believes in his own Magic enough to summon Faith-glow from his pentacle, but when he turns to his magic to solve a problem it's not an act of Faith, it's just a man grasping a tool for a goal.
Harry /has/ made more prominent Acts of Faith, and Id say gotten noticed because of them, but I think they've been relatively rare.
--- End quote ---
Easy? Yes, but faith is that simple for those who truly believe.. Oh it can be tested by a lot of things, but in the end the answer to the question is either yes, one has faith, or no, one does not, there is no in-between..
And no, when Harry turns to his magic it isn't simply a man grasping for a tool to reach a goal.. He has a set core of beliefs about his magic and about himself using it as instilled in him in the three years he lived with Eb..
again Storm Front page 276 hardback
--- Quote ---I took a deep breath, struggling to see clear of the anger, the hate, the deep lust that burned within me for vengeance and retribution. That wasn't what magic was for. That wasn't what magic did. Magic came from life itself, from the interaction of nature and the elements, from the energy of all living beings, and especially from people. A man's magic demonstrates what sort of person he is, what is held most deeply inside of him. There is no truer gauge of a man's character than in the way he employs his strength, his power.
--- End quote ---
It for the above reasons that Harry was so shocked in Blood Right to find out that Eb was the Council's Blackstaff. If anything shook his faith in his magic and what magic did, this is what did it.. But only for a little while, it was this faith in his will, his magic that ultimately allowed him to transform Lasciel's shadow and reject the coin. By extension resulted in the gift of soul fire by Uriel..
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: Quantus on June 06, 2017, 07:13:49 PM ---Grain of salt on that one is that the context of the mention was a Demon placing blame for a centuries-old murderous Curse on said famous Saint, and several forumites over the years have expressed skepticism given the infernal source. Hell, harry expresses skepticism for the same reason.
--- End quote ---
Yup. Chauncy even said "legend has it". Given the importance of free will, I give it pretty close to zero chance someone could remain saintly after laying a curse that compels an entire bloodline of people to turn into murderous beasts.
I've said it before, but my bet is that 'legend' was propaganda laid by the other side, probably the Denarians.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: Mira on June 07, 2017, 03:19:01 PM ---Easy? Yes, but faith is that simple for those who truly believe.. Oh it can be tested by a lot of things, but in the end the answer to the question is either yes, one has faith, or no, one does not, there is no in-between..
--- End quote ---
More along the lines of too common. Saints appear to have significant Power in their own right, something rare enough that the church kept cumulative lists and devoted Holidays to each one. If it were as simple as you describe then nearly every priest ever should be one, no?
Mira:
--- Quote from: Quantus on June 07, 2017, 04:59:39 PM ---More along the lines of too common. Saints appear to have significant Power in their own right, something rare enough that the church kept cumulative lists and devoted Holidays to each one. If it were as simple as you describe then nearly every priest ever should be one, no?
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Not really, many were just "holy people" who's lives had significant impact.. Look at some of the latest names on the Roll of Saints, Mother Teresa, Pope John, Pope John Paul, no supernatural power at least in their life time.. Anyone has the potential to be a saint, on paper it is easy, in practice maybe not so much.. Take St Teresa of Lisieux, she entered a monastery at age 15, she had to lobby the Pope to enter at such an early age... So okay, pious and determined, but her short life as a nun wasn't all that remarkable, she wasn't brilliant, nor did she perform miracles. In fact she was considered very ordinary, she is called the saint of what she called " the little way.." For her the road to holiness consisted of small acts of love and compassion done in the spirit of cheerfulness.. So yes, it can be as simple as I describe, but do not confuse simple with easy...
Griffyn612:
For the sake of simplification, let's say that there are saints, and there are Saints. Little s saints can be awesome people without power. Big S Saints have significant power, and are what we're discussing.
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