I'd like to pray to a Patron Saint but do not know how to go about it. I know this is a weird question but how do you pray to One? I have the Novena prayer to the Saint I chose so I know that I have to recite that but after my prayer is answered ( I hope it is) I know you have to "thank" (not the right choice of words) the Saint. How do you go about doing that?
Thanks!
Please...this is really important to me so no snide remarks or nastiness is needed.
2007-09-22 01:02:42 · 4 answers · asked by browneyedgirl 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
a Patron saint is not going to answer your prayers. you have to pray to God in the name of Jesus if you expect to get answers.
2007-09-22 01:17:31 · answer #1 · answered by morningstar6707 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Obviously, addressing a saint is different from addressing God, though many times people use the same words for both actions. Only God is God. That is that.
In my brand of Christianity (which doesn't happen to be Roman Catholicism) we regard all Christians, those who are alive now and those who have fallen asleep in the Lord, as sort of a big family whom we love, and we can ask for their prayers on our behalf. They are all the communion of saints, and the cloud of witnesses surrounding us. They are all members of the Body of Christ -- that is, they are (as we are) distinct living parts of the mystical Body of Christ. We ask people here and now to "pray for me" and we also ask those who have fallen asleep in the Lord to pray for us.
I just looked up a novena online and it starts: "O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son." That is, it asks her to pray on our behalf.
Prayers can be answered positively or negatively. In a prayer of my church we ask "grant our brethen and families their requests which are for salvation and eternal life." That is, we ask God to grant their requests that are for their deepest good, and we trust God to know what that deepest good is. And if God doesn't grant their request, that is an answer to the prayer.
Since a prayer is a request by one person (us or perhaps an intercessor) to another (God), it is not a mechanical process like putting money into a vending machine and getting a soda out of it. That kind of mechanical effect is what magic strives for and it is not what you are talking about asking the intercessory prayers of a saint. There are people who treat prayer to the saints as magical; there are also people who use the psalms as magic; but these are distortions and need to be strongly avoided.
Whew! Having said all this, I think it's pretty easy to thank the saint and I'd thank the saint no matter whether my request was granted or not. Thanking a saint is like thanking anybody else -- "Thank you, St. Felicitas, for your prayers on my behalf" or something like that. Perhaps some of the material associated with your particular novena might suggest words or an action of gratitude. One can do anything that is suitable -- light a candle, give someone alms, sing a song, visit someone in the hosptial, whatever. This is an offering to God, in gratitude for the companionship and help of one of the faithful.
If it is okay with you I will pray on your behalf and ask intercession on your behalf. Let me know via the Yahoo! Answers email link on my profile if you would prefer that I not pray. We can also cheerfully pray on behalf of those who posted somewhat hostile answers to your question.
Finally, I am not of your communion and so I may have said things that conflict with the teachings of your communion. It would be good for you to consult a priest or the Catholic catechism or some other resource to check what I have said. If I have erred, please forgive me.
2007-09-22 02:23:48 · answer #2 · answered by wilsonch0 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You don't pray to a Patron saint, you pray with a patron saint. Just like praying with your parish at church. Just ask them to pray to God for you. Thats really all there is to it. Go for it.
2007-09-22 02:21:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Praying to somebody else other than God is against the law of God. You are not a true christian man and have false religion if you pray to man like you and only had him proclaimed saint by the vatican or Pope.
Your alleged saint is not God to worship.
jtm
2007-09-22 01:31:47 · answer #4 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋