Where did Catholics get the idea of praying through the saint and the Virgin Mary?

Question

Taking into consideration that the Bible says Jesus is the only way to the father.

Answer 1

Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Therefore there are no Old Testament writings that would mention them.

Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written. Therefore there is little in the Bible about asking saints to pray for us.

However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.

Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ (believers) on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) in heaven. We are still one Body.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

--Is Catholic--

Now see, that is called abusing scripture. Jesus is the only way to the Father. That is absolutely unequivocally the Catholic position on the subject. Nothing else saves. That is why we as Catholics say "Without the Church, there is no salvation" because the Church is the Bride of Christ and the Christ is the head of the Church.

So the more you press on and on about Jesus being the only way to the Father, the more Jesus is going to ask you, "So then, if you believed that, why didn't you join my Church and be united to me?????"

Now as for praying to the saints, saying that Jesus is the only way to the Father doesn't say that you cannot pray to the Saints. Rather instead if you had actually read scripture, especially the Gospel of John, you would know that "who ever hears you hears me, and thus hears the Father". This is because all have the same Spirit and this unifies not only the Trinity but the Church and the Church to Christ. All do the will of the Father. So if I pray to a Saint, it is because the Saint does the will of the Father, the Father will hear the prayers of the Saint (read Revelations), and I will do the will of the Father.

Does this make sense to you? Of course not. That is because you need to read scripture completly.

Answer 3

The Blessed Virgin Mary is given a place by GOD in heaven as the QUEEN of HEAVEN and EARTH. The fulfillment of the promise for the SON of GOD to become MAN wouldn't have happened if there is no mother hence the IMMACULATE CONCEPCION. The four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John mentioned this. Through MARY, the first miracle of Christ happened in the wedding. Anyway, the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY has played a very important role in the fulfillement of the promise so it is only right for us to honor her. The SAINTS, are ordinary people like you and me who has done extraordinary things. They set an example for us on how to live a life of Godliness. SAINTS do not become SAINTS by accident. It is a lot of hard work and before they become SAINTS, they actually have to perform at least 3 DOCUMENTED MIRACLES after death. So, again they are special therefore it is only right to honor them.

Answer 4

Interesting - how you attentive enough to know that Catholics pray "through" Mary and the saints, but then attempt the bogus accusation of violating the ideal of Jesus being the only mediator.

Catholics believe Jesus Christ is the one and only Divine Mediator. But this does not mean Catholics cannot offer intercessory prayers to Mary and the Saints.

Intercessory prayer to Mary and the Saints does not fly in the face of Jesus being the only Divine mediator - because intercessory prayer is simply asking for others to pray - TO GOD - on our behalf.

If you've ever said, "I'll pray for you.", then you've engaged in intercessory prayer. Now you don't consider yourself as having violated the First Commandment in doing so, do you? Of course not.

Understand what I am saying?

Answer 5

It's a holdover from the days of paganism. In many cases the actual names of the saints are simply the names of the old gods, and they've retained many of the same characteristics. The figure of the "Virgin Mary" - the "Queen of Heaven" - is obviously developed from such ancient goddesses as Isis and Ishtar.

It makes sense when you consider that the entire christian religion is basically a hijacked paganism with a Middle Eastern coat of paint.

Answer 6

Jonjon is correct, see The Two Babylons by the Rev. Alexander Hislop.

http://philologos.org/__eb-ttb/default.htm

It was in the Original Babylon that Tammuz and his mother were orginally worshipped as the Sun God and the Mother of Heaven. Over thousands of years, his name changed many many times throughout the centuries, but his legend basically remained the same, died on Dec. 25th to resurrect the sun, born to a "virgin mother" Semiramis the wife of Nimrod. Over the millinenia she became known as Astarte, Venus, Isis, on and on, but she was always the Queen of Heaven (sound familiar - its a name Mary is given today).

Search through this book.

Answer 7

The idea comes from Jewish and Christian traditions handed down from Scripture. Catholics ask the saints and Mary, who we assume are in heaven in the presence of God, to pray for us.

It's like asking a friend to support you in your time of need.

Answer 8

praying THROUGH someone isnt the same as praying TOO someone

asking a friend to pray for you is essentially the same as asking mary or a saint too pray for you too

your NOT praying too them but THROUGH them

its a popular misconception about catholicism that we pray too mary/saints

we pray through them which is different

Answer 9

you're right the Bible says that Jesus alone is the mediator between mankind and God. That's why I just left Catholicism and rely only on Sola Scriptura (Bible Alone).

Answer 10

WEAK ISN'T IT..
BIBLE CLEARLY SHOWS THE WAY:
JOHN 14:6 JESUS : I AM THE WAY..NO OTHER WAY.
JOHN 11:25 JESUS: I AM THE RESURRECTION AND LIFE..

PEOPLE WILL FOLLOW MAN FOR SURE.
JEREMIAH 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,

CAN'T GET TO HEAVEN THRU MARY-SHE CANNOT SPEAK FOR YOU TO FATHER-CANNOT FORGIVE YOUR SINS-NOR SAVE YOU...

WHY EVEN OWN A BIBLE IF YOU DON'T USE IT.
MAN NOR WOMEN CAN FORGIVE YOUR SINS-NO PRIEST-NO ROSARY BEADS---CAN GET YOU INTO HEAVEN.

ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN.