why do catholics pray to ?

Question

mary, saints. please dont take it the wrong way. im just curious. because the first commandment is dont put no other gods before me and if your praying to others like saints, mary thats what they are doing whats your opinion?

Answer 1

My opinion is irrelevant. God's Truth is what matters.

You care confusing prayers of worship to God with Intercessory prayer to Mary and the Saints. Intercessory prayer is not worship, it is simply asking someone to pray on your behalf.

Have you ever heard someone say, or say yourself, "I will pray for you."? That is intercessory prayer. Asking Mary and the saints to pray on your behalf is no different that asking another person to pray on your bahalf.

God Desires and Responds to Subordinate Mediation / Intercessory Prayer

1 Tim 2:1-2 - because Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), many Protestants deny the Catholic belief that the saints on earth and in heaven can mediate on our behalf. But before Paul's teaching about Jesus as the "one mediator," Paul urges supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. Paul is thus appealing for mediation from others besides Christ, the one mediator. Why?

1 Tim 2:3 - because this subordinate mediation is good and acceptable to God our Savior. Because God is our Father and we are His children, God invites us to participate in Christ's role as mediator.

1 Tim. 2:5 - therefore, although Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man, there are many intercessors (subordinate mediators).

1 Cor. 3:9 - God invites us to participate in Christ's work because we are God's "fellow workers" and one family in the body of Christ. God wants His children to participate. The phrase used to describe "fellow workers" is "sunergoi," which literally means synergists, or cooperators with God in salvific matters. Does God need fellow workers? Of course not, but this shows how much He, as Father, loves His children. God wants us to work with Him.

Mark 16:20 - this is another example of how the Lord "worked with them" ("sunergountos"). God cooperates with us. Out of His eternal love, He invites our participation.

Rom. 8:28 - God "works for good with" (the Greek is "sunergei eis agathon") those who love Him. We work as subordinate mediators.

2 Cor. 6:1 - "working together" (the Greek is "sunergountes") with him, don't accept His grace in vain. God allows us to participate in His work, not because He needs our help, but because He loves us and wants to exalt us in His Son. It is like the father who lets his child join him in carrying the groceries in the house. The father does not need help, but he invites the child to assist to raise up the child in dignity and love.

Heb. 12:1 - the “cloud of witnesses” (nephos marturon) that we are surrounded by is a great amphitheatre of witnesses to the earthly race, and they actively participate and cheer us (the runners) on, in our race to salvation.

1 Peter 2:5 - we are a holy priesthood, instructed to offer spiritual sacrifices to God. We are therefore subordinate priests to the Head Priest, but we are still priests who participate in Christ's work of redemption.

Rev. 1:6, 5:10 - Jesus made us a kingdom of priests for God. Priests intercede through Christ on behalf of God's people.

James 5:16; Proverbs 15:8, 29 - the prayers of the righteous (the saints) have powerful effects. This is why we ask for their prayers. How much more powerful are the saints’ prayers in heaven, in whom righteousness has been perfected.

1 Tim 2:5-6 - therefore, it is because Jesus Christ is the one mediator before God that we can be subordinate mediators. Jesus is the reason. The Catholic position thus gives Jesus the most glory. He does it all but loves us so much He desires our participation.

Answer 2

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 living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.

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

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

We do not pray to them for salvation. That is the thing. I remember when my son broke the windshield in our car and he was scared to death that my husband was going to beat him or something (he wouldn't have but, this is how kids think) anyway he wanted to know if I would talk to him first about it and kind of soften him up. Well, this is kind of the same with Mary. She is our Mother and as such we approach her the same way to talk to Jesus for us. The same with all the Saints. They are alive in Heaven. (Scripture says that all of Heaven will rejoice when just one sinner turns to God" so we know they are aware of what goes on here on Earth. Jesus is the only one who intermediates with the Father on our behalf but, it doesn't say someone else can't mediate with him as a matter of fact the book of Esther hints just the opposite. The Queen intercedes for her people. I think the problem between the denominations is the idea that we truly are of the body of Christ. If they were of the real body of Christ they would understand but, they are not. We are all just one big family that it just so happens some of us live here on Earth until we change to go to Heaven. During a Catholic Mass, we ARE all together at the Heavenly banquet. All of Heaven and the Catholics on Earth. If you ever get a chance read Scott Hahn's book called "The Lambs Supper" It is outstanding and this is the book of Revelation. The Catholic Mass. It explains it fully. Awesome.

Answer 4

Because with them being so close to God, They figure that The Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints can put in a good word for them!

Answer 5

they do not pray TO saints, but they commune with the saints to pray FOR them... the same way we speak to our loved ones who have passed. We speak to them in our hearts.... that don't mean we are praying TO them....

Answer 6

We ask them to intercede on our behalf. Kinda like how you'd ask your mom to talk to your dad about your curfew.