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Why Do Catholics Ask the Saints for Strength or Help When They Can Only Intercede for Us?
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Why do Catholics ask the saints for strength or help when they can only intercede for us?
Answer
The saints can’t heal or give help on their own. When people pray to the saints for help. it is the saints’ prayers that they are asking for. Since often the saints’ prayers are answered, people thank them for healing or whatever, meaning that they are thanking them for their prayers.
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
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My dear Patrick, that is not what the answer says. You must first understand that all power comes from God and no one else. But in the Bible there are many examples of God using humans or angels to do His work. Remember Jesus in Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him. (Why didn’t God the father minister to His Son,our Lord, Himself?) God has many ways of helping us and one way is by allowing us to intercede for one another that don’t know how to pray or have the strength to do so. The Centurion going to Jesus to ask Him to heal his servant is another example of interceding for someone who couldn’t pray for himself. And in the transfiguration you see Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. What is prayer except conversation. You would never accuse Jesus of idolatry because he prayed in the transfiguration to Moses and Elijah? Remember, not all prayer is done in worship.
Another important thing to remember is that the Saints in Heaven are even more alive than we are here on earth so if your thinking i can only ask people here on earth to pray for me read Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;
Also:
Revelation 8:3
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne;
I hope this helps understand.
God Bless ??????
P.S. Remember this next time you ask anyone here on earth to pray for you…
Don’t get this wrong it’s always good to ask people to pray for you. There is power in prayer. But when you have the Blessed Mother of our Lord Jesus and the Angels and Saints praying for you and interceding for you. I believe God is happy that we help one another and love one another.
My dear Patrick, that is not what the answer says. You must first understand that all power comes from God and no one else. But in the Bible there are many examples of God using humans or angels to do His work. Remember Jesus in Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him. (Why didn’t God the father minister to His Son,our Lord, Himself?) God has many ways of helping us and one way is by allowing us to intercede for one another that don’t know how to pray or have the strength to do so. The Centurion going to Jesus to ask Him to heal his servant is another example of interceding for someone who couldn’t pray for himself. And in the transfiguration you see Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. What is prayer except conversation. You would never accuse Jesus of idolatry because he prayed in the transfiguration to Moses and Elijah? Remember, not all prayer is done in worship.
Another important thing to remember is that the Saints in Heaven are even more alive than we are here on earth so if your thinking i can only ask people here on earth to pray for me read Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;
Also:
Revelation 8:3
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne;
I hope this helps understand.
God Bless ??????
P.S. Remember this next time you ask anyone here on earth to pray for you…
Don’t get this wrong it’s always good to ask people to pray for you. There is power in prayer. But when you have the Blessed Mother of our Lord Jesus and the Angels and Saints praying for you and interceding for you. I believe God is happy that we help one another and love one another.
Hebrews 4:16 – please explain why this promise is being ignored
Hebrews 4:16 – please explain why this promise is being ignored
Isn’t it better that the prayer is explicitly for intercession? When you ask Mary or any other saint for direct help, it is idolatry. Do most people who pray to saints using prayers for direct help assume that the saint does not answer directly?
Isn’t it better that the prayer is explicitly for intercession? When you ask Mary or any other saint for direct help, it is idolatry. Do most people who pray to saints using prayers for direct help assume that the saint does not answer directly?