Why do Catholics pray to saints to pray to God on their behalf?

Question

I recently met a Catholic woman who was able to site many prayers to certain saints for different "causes" or "issues". I asked her why she prays to the saints and not just to God. She said that she prays to God first, and then the saints or the Blessed Virgin.

I guess I don't understand why praying to God yourself isn't "good enough" (for lack of a better term).

All right, I understand it isn't "Biblical". I guess I already knew that. The whole interceding thing is what confuses me.

I'm not ripping on Catholics, I just want to better understand other religious practices when I hear about them.

I've also heard that Catholics have their own "version" of the Bible. Maybe this has something to do with it?? Sorry, but I'm a "sponge" when It comes to stuff like this. I guess it'd be easier if I read a book about all of this! :)

Answer 1

"Teach us how to pray," the disciples said to Jesus. (Luke 11, 1)

Jesus answered by teaching them the prayer we call the Our Father or The Lord's Prayer.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give US this day OUR daily bread.
Forgive US OUR trespasses,
as WE forgive those who trespass against US.
And lead US not into temptation,
but deliver US from evil.

The entire second part of the Lord's prayer is intercessory prayer where we pray for ourselves and others (us, we, and our).

Christians praying for each other and the world is intercessory prayer and is accepted and practiced by all Christan denominations (that I know about).

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) living on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) living 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, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

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.

And prayer to the saints is optional not required.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 946 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Saints are Alive. Mark 12:27 he's no longer the God of the ineffective, yet of the living. You subsequently do very much err. The bible tells us the Prayer of a Righteous guy or woman does plenty. Who greater Righteous than the mummy of God and the Saints? Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is faraway from the depraved: and he will hear the prayers of the in simple terms. James 5:sixteen Confess subsequently your sins one to a different: and pray one for yet another, which you will be saved. For the continual prayer of a in simple terms guy availeth plenty. Revelations 8:4 And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up till now God from the hand of the angel. Peace be with you <<>>

Answer 3

Praying to saints isn't biblical, and the bible says that if you have any problems or struggles to go striaght to God in prayer in order to get the best solution. The bible says clearly that after the ressurection of Jesus, God sent the HOLY SPIRIT to intercede for us, not dead mortals.

Answer 4

Perhaps god is incredibly busy with the 6 billion+ people on the planet?

Maybe praying to a certain saint that has something to do with what you're praying about is a little better than having to pray to god and waste his time when it can be taken care of by someone lower? Kind of like seeing a nurse instead of waiting 40 minutes for a doctor to show up.

Answer 5

1 Tim. 2:5 Tells us that Jesus is the sole mediator between God and Man. When we pray to saints we increase Jesus' powerful mediation. Praying to saints only enhances and gives more glory to Christ! God bless.

2 Cor. 1:11 Paul urges intercesssion
Rev. 5:8 and 8:3-4 Saints pray in heaven for those on earth
2 Macc. 15:11-16, Saints pray for Jews on earth

Answer 6

Here's the thing I haven't been able to figure out about that:

1. We (meaning Protestant Christians) ask other Christians to pray for us all the time, for everything under the sun.

2. Hebrews says that we are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses", like spectators at a sporting event, cheering us on towards the finish line. Those witnesses are the righteous people of faith who have gone before us and are now in the presence of God.

So... if you ask your living brothers and sisters in Christ (who aren't necessarily "saints") to pray to God on your behalf, why wouldn't you ask some of these brothers and sisters who have already entered into His presence to pray for you too? What is the REAL difference? No one has ever been able to give me a satisfactory answer, at least.

Peace to you.

Answer 7

Jesus said to pray to the Father and anything you ask for in my name will be granted you. So pray to Jehovah and ask for your prayer to be heard in the name of Christ Jesus. Dreamed1, because asking a person more spiritual than you to pray for you is not the same as praying to someone in the spirit realm to pray for you. God's word indicates that all prayers be directed to God himself only, as the bible calls God the hearer of prayer. God delegates things to do to all his spirit creatures, but as for prayer, no where does the Bible indicate this to be so for prayers, God reserves prayers entirely to himself, and he can handle all prayers all at once from every person on the planet, HE's God.

Answer 8

Remember that the first official Christianity crafted by Constantine had to compete in a society that had a very long pagan and polytheistic history. They had to borrow many elements from paganism in order to sell it. Hence the story of the life of Christ is a blatant recast of pagan saviour-gods, and all Christian holidays are pagan holidays, in some cases not even renamed.
The saints were added in copious numbers to satisfy the peoples desire to pray to many different gods for different issues. Without them, Christianity seemed way too barren. Mary was elevated to godess to satisfy the huge market demand for mother godesses in Rome.
When your friend says she is only praying for them to pray on her behalf, she is dodging the issue that she is praying to an otherworldly being who will hear her prayer and do her bidding. We have a word for such a being, it is called a god. It does not have to be a supreme god to be a god.

Answer 9

That's because the Saints don't get to be Saints unless they caused a number of miracles to happen when people ask them to intercede for them to God. Then the evidence is taken to the Vaticum and first these individuals are called 'blessed' and eventually get their Sainthood! We ask certain Saints to pray for different things - if you have lost something important you pray to St. Anthony - if you are at your wits end (hopeless causes - say your mother is dying of cancer and the doctors have given up) then the Saint you need to pray to is St. Jude. My favourite saint to pray to is St. Theresa as when she intercedes for you and when she has heard she always sents you (through someone) a rose. I know all this is a bit much for protestants to understand - saints are there to intercede for us.

Answer 10

We ask the saints to pray with us and for us because we are instructed to "pray for another" (James 5:16). Seems Biblical to me!