In our pilgrimage with Jesus, we stand on the work and shoulders of many saints who have gone before us (i.e., “the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us”). Our confession approves giving threefold honor to the saints and their legacy. The first is thanksgiving: we ought to give thanks to God because He has given examples of His mercy…and because He has given teachers and others gifts to the church. Since these are the greatest gifts, they ought to be extolled very highly, and we ought to celebrate the saints themselves for faithfully using these gifts just as Christ praises faithful managers [Matt. 25:21, 23]. The second kind of veneration is the strengthening of our faith. When we see Peter forgiven after his denial, we, too, are encouraged to believe that grace truly superabounds much more over sin [Rom. 5:20]. Moreover, our faith is strengthened when we consider previous hardships saints have endured yet persevered in Jesus. The third honor is imitation: first of their faith, then of their virtues, which people should imitate according to their callings. [Apology: Article XXI, par. 4-7]