~St. Cyprian of Carthage: Epistles, 33, 3.
“IF Apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, when they ought still to be anxious for themselves, how much more must they do so when once they have won their crowns, overcome, and triumphed?”
~St. Jerome: Contra Vigilantium, 6.
"ARE not those, then, worthy of honour who are the patrons of the whole race, and make intercession to God for us? Yea, verily, we ought to give honour to them by raising temples to God in their name, bringing them fruit-offerings, honouring their memories and taking spiritual delight in them, in order that the joy of those who call on us may be ours, that in our attempts at worship we may not on the contrary cause them offense. For those who worship God will take pleasure in those things whereby God is worshipped, while His shield-bearers will be wrath at those things wherewith God is angry."
~St. John of Damascus: An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 4, 15.
The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs, by Fra Angelico.
Tempera on wood, c. 1423-24; National Gallery, London.