Catholics: Where in the BIBLE does it say to pray to saints and Mary?

Question

Oh brother, I hit a nerve. I genuinly wanted to know if there was a scripture in the bible talking about praying to Mary and the Saints. So shoot me for wanting to know the truth.

Answer 1

It doesn't. The Catholic Religion created those beliefs. Much of the Bible was written before Mary and the Saints were born.

Answer 2

It so happens that the old testament book Second Macabees talks of praying to those who have died. But Martin Luther deleted that book (as well as some others) from the Protestant Bible.

But more generally, where in the bible does it say that the church is to be guided by only the bible?

Jesus's promise to the apostles at the last supper was not "I will send you a book", but rather "I will sent you the Holy Spirit."

The Spirit inspired the early church.

Under the inspiration of the Spirit, they preached, they performed miracles, and....they wrote the New Testament.

A church does not draw it's authority from the New Testament . Rather, the reverse is true: the New Testament is authoritative because it was written down by the Spirit-filled Church.

So the same church that created the new testament, the same church which, at church councils, decided which books even BELONG in the bible, has the authority to continue to teach, under the inspiration of the Spirit.

"What you declare bound on earth will be bound in heaven."
That is the promise made first to Peter, then to the twelve. Cathloics see in this the beginnings of the teaching authority of the first bishops of the church.

And please don't get into the misleading petros/petra argument. Jesus spoke in Aramaic, which does not have grammatical gender, unlike Greek, in which the word for rock is a feminine noun, leading to an awkward translation for a man's name. What Jesus would have said is, "You are Cepha, and on this Cepha I will build my church." Same Cepha. Jesus would never have uttered the words petros or petra.....that was Matthew's translation into Greek.

Answer 3

Where in the Bible does it say that we are to attend Church on Sundays instead of the Sabbath? Where in the Bible does it say that God is to be described as a Trinity? Where in the bible does it say what books are to be put into the Bible?

Does the Bible tell us that oral traditions of Paul and the apostles are not on the same level as Paul's written letters? Actually, in 2 Thess 2:15 it says, "Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by word of mouth or by letter of ours."

So the Bible tells us that the oral traditions of the apostles are on the same level as Paul's letters. The Catholic practice of praying to the saints is largely, but not entirely, an apostolic tradition by oral practice. The Bible also supports the concept of praying for the dead. In Revelations the saints in heaven are offering intercession for us. The saints offer our prayers before the throne of God (Revelations 5:8).

Much more information can be found on the following link:
http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2007/03/answers-for-inquiring-bible-christian_5021.html

Answer 4

This question comes up a couple times per day . So I'll ask you , where in the bible does it say that anyone should not pray to Mary ?
Praying is only a low or silent conversation , with nobody . You pray into space . There is nobody on the receiving end . Exactly what good or what harm is done by praying to anybody or nobody ?

Answer 5

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.

Asking others to pray for you whether your loved ones on Earth or your loved ones in heaven is always optional.

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 6

Rms 15:30 Col 4:3
1 Thess 5:25
2 thess 1:11
Eph6:18-19
Tobit 12:12
Rev5;8
Rev20:4
Rv6:9-11
Mark 9:4
Mk 12;26-27Heb 12:1
1 Cor12:12-27
Lk 16:19-30

Answer 7

Before Jesus died on the Cross He said: "This is your Mother."

Now it could mean many things. It could mean after His Death, Mary is alive and will intercede for us, and we look to Her as Our Divine Saviour's Mother who saw the horrorific sufferings of her only child.

As a Catholic we do not worship saints. We can emulate them, by their words, deeds, or life if we choose to.
Let's say you want to ask Saint Rita (patron saint of abused women) to ask God to intercede for your special cause. God will hear your prayer, and St. Rita's intercession as well.

For Holy Mother Mary we pray the Hail Mary Full of Grace. Remember when Mary went to see and visit Elizabeth and she exclaimed this prayer upon knowing that she was pregnant with Christ's child.

God comes first and foremost in prayer always.
Mary is second, and then the saints.

Answer 8

1 Timothy 3:15
1 JOhn 3:1
Romans 8:17
2 Peter 1:4
John 15:1-5
1 Cor 12:12-27
Romans 12:4-16

All state a united body of Christ and communion of the saints not separated by death.

Prayer is not "to" Saints but asking them to pray for us. Listen to the Litany of Saints, after each st listing it says :pray for us.
(same concept as prayer chains, asking a friend to pray for you, or when you sit and talk in your mind to a deceased relative at their grave, etc.)

and it was done in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man asked Abraham (who was physically dead) to intercede for him as his brother. like the trinity there is justification for it throughout the bible though not directly mentioned. If you don;t see it it is because you don;t want to not because it is not there.

Answer 9

N.B. They have a different Bible.

You'd think that they would know their history: The Spanish Inquisition; Indulgences; The Virgin Mary being an emotionally appealing idol brought upon the Americas by the Europeans.

Do they still believe that Indulgences will get them to Heaven? If not, then they should see what other things Martin Luther was right about.

Answer 10

It's interesting that none of the New Testament letters even mention Mary. Kind of gives you a perspective where their priorities were.