I've sometimes wondered this, since saints are only people who have been deemed by certain head honchos in the Church to be worthy of sainthood after they've died.
2006-11-06 04:47:45 · 15 answers · asked by tangerine 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
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.
2006-11-06 17:16:59 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Catholics don't worship the statues nor the saints. Catholics ask the Saints to intercede in prayer for us, much in the same way that you would ask another Christian to pray for you. Catholics believe that the prayers of a rightous person have much more influence (with Jesus) than that of a non-righteous person. In a sense of calling your father to ask permission to go somewhere, only to have your mother/sister answer the phone. Knowing full well that you would need your father’s permission, they in turn would go ask him for you. Scripturally speaking, the saints are not only not dead, but living in the presence of Jesus and God.
Mk 12:26-27 ... "not God of the dead, but of the living."
Jn 15:1-8 ... vine and its branches.
1 Cor 12:25-27; Rom 12:4-5 ... body of Christ.
Eph 6:18; Rom 15:30; Col 4:3; 1 Thess 1:11 ... intercessory prayer.
Jos 5:14; Dan 8:17; Tob 12:16 ... veneration of angels united with God (Mt 18:10).
1 Cor 13:12; 1 John 3:2 ... saints also united with God.
Lk 20-34-38 ... those who died are like angels.
2 Mac 15:11-16 ... deceased Onias and Jeremiah interceded for Jews.
Rev 8:3-4; Jer 15:1 ... saints' intercession.
The Bible also teaches (a) that some sins are forgiven in the next world; (b) that some souls are saved in the next world "by fire"; (c) that it is useful and beneficial to pray for the dead.
"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME. ( i.e. Some sins can therefore be forgiven after death.)"— Mt. 12:32
"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, YET SO AS BY FIRE."—1 Cor. 3:13 ,15
"It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins." 2 Machabees, 12:46 (This is one of the Old Testament books omitted from the Protestant Bible SEE DUTEROCANONICAL or APOCHRYPHAL).
COMMENT: As nothing defiled can enter Heaven (Rev. 21-27), there must necessarily exist a state of cleansing or purgation usually called "purgatory."
The Existence of Purgatory
Jews, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox have always historically proclaimed the reality of the final purification. It was not until the Protestant Reformers came in the 1500s that anyone denied this doctrine. As the following quotes from the early Church Fathers show, purgatory has been part of the Christian faith from the very beginning.
Catholics believe that the only way to the Father is through Jesus, but the Bible also states that prayers of the faithful are brought before the Lord in Rev.8:3 "Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. 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." Prayers of the Holy Ones brought before the Lord...
So what are the prayers of the Holy Ones to you?
2006-11-06 12:57:38 · answer #2 · answered by Bob 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Basically, Catholics are asking the saints to help them in a specific area. You may pray to saint Lucia to help you sing better (patron saint of music), or Saint Anthony if you lose your car keys (patron saint of lost causes or itmens). Many Catholics just pray to the saints asking for help, or as a way of approaching God, without being intimidated. I don't approve of the last reason, because the Bible says Jesus is our mediator between God.
2006-11-06 12:52:40 · answer #3 · answered by teeney1116 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because they are members of the Body of Christ just like the Church members on Earth but they are in Heaven and can intercede for us with Jesus face to face. "You will know them by their fruits" The fruits are very convincing. The Saints are not dead but, alive and as such more than able to intercede. "The prayers of a righteous man availeth much". Don't you ask people to pray for you? These people are very Holy because Jesus makes them Holy.
2006-11-06 13:32:42 · answer #4 · answered by Midge 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Catholics talk to other Christians in order to ask them to pray for us. Don't you?? Catholics believe that those who were Christians and prayed for us while they were earthly sinners will certainly continue to pray for us once they are standing before the throne of God. So we ask them to pray for us, just as we ask the saints here on earth to pray for us.
Natually, Catholics don't worship anyone other than God. That would be idolatry, and the Catholic Church absolutely condemns idolatry in every form, as you can see by reading about it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. But we do honor those Christians whose earthly lives have been outstanding examples of Christian truth and holiness, thank them for their example and their prayers, and emulate them in our own walk with Christ. This is what the Apostles' Creed refers to when it mentions "the Communion of Saints" as an element of the Christian Faith.
2006-11-06 13:16:50 · answer #5 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
catholics believe that saints worked hard enough in life to be granted sainthood in death which means they work closely with god. they believe god is busy and saints are appointed to certain circumstances so they will ask the saint instead of god because god may be too busy to hear them that day...it's kind of like what you tell kids about the mall santas, they're his helpers
2006-11-06 12:53:41 · answer #6 · answered by Passionfire 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
there are saints and Saints -- the saints are all of us in Christ. in the Catholic church we believe that some people are Saints - they have fully dedicated their lives to Christ and He has, by examples of miracles and fulfilled prayers, worked through them due to their complete openness to Him alone. they have passed on and thus are in heaven with God. we ask them to interceed on our behalf. kind of like when you were a kid and needed to get something special - you knew you had to ask dad but you got your brothers and sisters and Mom to help you out.
2006-11-06 13:36:46 · answer #7 · answered by Marysia 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Saints are the souls of Holy men & women who are now in the Presence Of God Almighty for all eternity in Heaven.
Because they are with Him, they have a much Greater Access to Him, than the rest of us here on earth, & therefore, can intercede with Him on all our behalves.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, especially is very powerful in her intercession for us, because God Is her Son, & likewise, we too are all her children also.
2006-11-06 13:02:52 · answer #8 · answered by clusium1971 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Saints are like our mentors. They are very holy people whom we look to as example for our lives. We go to them for help just as I would go to someone here on earth for help. We are united with the saints because we all make up the Mystical Body of Christ. We are members of Christ's one body, united in His divine life even beyond the grave, therefore we are concerned with the salvation of all. We call for help and support from our brothers and sisters who have already won their crown in glory just as we turn to our human families for aid and example. We ask saints to pray for us just as we ask others to pray for us.
God bless,
Stanbo
2006-11-06 12:59:23 · answer #9 · answered by Stanbo 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Really don't understand that one either. I believe it is important for us to look at examples given in scripture to decide what God wants us to do and how we are to relate to Him. I see no example anywhere where any Christians prayed to anyone other than God or Jesus. And there is only one example of praying to Jesus. That would be when Stephen was stoned and before his death he did pray to Jesus.
2006-11-06 12:56:54 · answer #10 · answered by yagman 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋