Ch. XVIII Praying to Saints

In the Apostles Creed, we profess a belief in “The Communion of Saints”. During this interaction between the Saints of GOD, the Saints in Heaven (the Church Triumphant) pray for the Saints on earth (the Church Militant). The Church Militant in turn prays to the Saints in Heaven and ask for their help. The Church on earth also prays and offer up their sacrifices, for the relief of the sufferings of the poor Souls in Purgatory (the Church Suffering). (See Chapter XVII for a more detailed coverage of the poor Souls in Purgatory). The Catechism of the Council of Trent also describes this “Communion” as the sharing by the faithful of spiritual gifts in The Church. The Communion of Sacraments, The Communion of Good Works, Communion in other Blessings.

NON-CATHOLIC REJECTION OF “THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS”:^[1]

1. There is but one “Mediator” between GOD and man and that is Jesus Christ.

“For there is one GOD, and one mediator of GOD and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim. 2:5

“Do not the Saints become mediators in violation of (1 Tim. 2:5) if they pray for us? You dishonor GOD in praying to the Saints because you make void the mediatorship of Jesus Christ! You put the creature above the Creator!”

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CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

This passage in 1 Tim. does not mean what the non-Catholics claim it means. Consider the very next line:

“Who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times.” 1 Tim. 2:6

This “mediation” of Christ was profoundly demonstrated by His death on the cross and thereby the Redemption of mankind. Only the Sacrifice of the GOD-man (Jesus Christ) could atone for the sins of mankind and reopen the Gates of Heaven for him. Christ is the one and only mediator of the redemption of all mankind. This is the sense of these passages.

These passages in 1 Timothy do not mean or imply that The Saints should not pray for one another! Even the non-Catholics ask their friends to “pray for them”! Is this not a request for a “mediation” between them and GOD? (Non-Catholic “theories” are often contradicted by their acts.)

We do not dishonor GOD by praying to the Saints. Their mediation (prayers) on our behalf and our mediation (prayers) for others is not the “Redemptive Mediation” but a secondary mediation a petition for Mercy and Grace out of Charity. Prayers for others, by Angels and Saints, have been encouraged throughout the ages.

2. Where in the Bible does it say that “creatures” can mediate between GOD and man?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

EXAMPLES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Gen. 48:16 The Patriarch Jacob, on his deathbed asked the Angel “that delivered me from all evils” to bless his two grandchildren.

Tobias 12:12 The angel Raphael telling Tobias that he presented Tobias’ prayer to GOD.

Baruch 1:13 When the Hebrews were carried into exile in Babylon they asked their brethren in Jerusalem to pray to GOD for them.

Job 42 GOD told the friends of Job, to ask Job to pray to for them to HIM, for their pardon

instead of granting pardon to them directly. Here we have an example of the value of intercessory prayer sanctioned (demanded) by GOD.

2 Machabees 12:46 It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins.

Zach. 1:12-13 The prophet Zachariah records a prayer that was offered by the Angel for the people of GOD.

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Jos 5:14; Dan 8:17; Tob.12:15 Give examples of veneration of Angels. This veneration comes from the Angels’ supernatural Dignity.

EXAMPLES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT:

Luke 15:10 The Angels are aware of what we do and rejoice when even one sinner does penance.

Matt. 18:10 Guardian Angels always see GOD and because of this Dignity we must not despise the “little ones” whom they guard.

1 Cor. 13:12 and 1 John 3:2 The Saints in Heaven also “see” GOD and therefore like the Angels are worthy of Veneration.

Matt. 22:30 The Saints in Heaven shall be like the Angels. Therefore they are aware of what we do and like Angels can act as “mediators” (pray) for us.

Apoc. (Rev.) 5:8; 8:3 St. John describes the Saints in Heaven praying for their earthly brethren and place the prayers of the holy on earth at GOD’s feet.

Mark 12:26-27 GOD is the GOD of living men including those who have died on earth. These Saints in Heaven are now more alive that we are! They are free from sin and with GOD!

Rom. 15:30; Col. 4:3; 1 Thess. 1:2 Paul asked his disciples to pray for him. Likewise we can ask Paul to pray for us. We are not cut off from our fellow Christians at death!

Eph. 6:18 St. Paul encouraging prayers to the Saints.

3. The Bible says that the dead are dead and know nothing. It therefore does no good to pray to them since they can’t hear our prayers or are aware of what we do! See Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10; Psalm 115:17 (Psalm 113:17 in the Catholic Bible), 146:4 (145:4 in the Catholic Bible) and Job 14:12, 21.

“For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more; for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work that is done under the sun.” Eccl.9:5-6.

“Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly; for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening.” Eccl. 9:10

“The dead shall not praise thee, O Lord nor any of them that go down to hell.” Psalm 113:17

“His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return into his earth, in that day all their thoughts shall perish.” Psalm 145:4.

“So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.” Job 14:12

“Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.” Job 14:21

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Since the dead know nothing, prayers to them, including prayers to Mary the Mother of Christ, are useless. The dead are in the grave. They cannot hear us. They do not know what we are doing. They cannot help us.

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Holy Scripture forbids “private interpretation”:

These passages remind us of the warnings in Holy Scripture against private interpretation of Holy Scripture:

“Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20

“As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.” 2 Pet.3:16

The Catholic Church has been established by Jesus Christ to teach us the meaning of the things in Holy Scripture that are “hard to understand”.

When Christ came He revealed more about the “neither world” than was known by the ancient Hebrews:

All of these passages come from the Old Testament. The ancient concept of the abode of the dead (the neither world, in Hebrew, Sheol) supposed (assumed) no activity or lofty emotion among the deceased, who were pictured as surrounded by the darkness of oblivion. The Hebrews shared in this common idea almost to the time of Christ, when God revealed clearer notion of the hereafter.

The Correct Understanding of Ecclesiastes Chapter 9:

For example, the correct understanding of Ecclesiastes Ch. 9 is not what some outside The Catholic Church think. It is particularly easy to mislead others, when they take a couple of passages like this out of context. In this Chapter Solomon is telling us that man knows not certainly that he is in GOD’s grace and after death there is no more time for merit. The dead “know nothing” as to the transactions of this world, in which they have now no part, unless it be revealed to them by GOD. Neither have they any knowledge or power now of doing anything to secure their eternal state, (if they have not taken care of it in their lifetime). Nor can they now procure themselves any good, as the living always may do, by the grace of GOD.^[2] Their plans (works) in this life based on their love, hatred or envy have “perished” due to their death. Therefore Solomon urges us to do good works while alive and can still obtain merit for them. We must always be ready for death since we don’t know when it will come.

Psalm 113 tells us that the dead in hell will not praise GOD. Of course not - they’re in Hell!

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Psalm 145 tells us that all thoughts at the time of death will perish. It says nothing about thoughts after death.

Job in Chapter 14 is professing his belief in a resurrection after death. When Christ came He revealed to The Church that the dead are often allowed by God to know more than perhaps Job realized in Old Testament times.

We know that those who have died are aware of themselves and us from Holy Scripture:

See the passages mentioned above. Also there is the story of Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. The rich man died and went to Hell. Lazarus a beggar went to Heaven. The rich man saw the beggar and Abraham in Heaven and begs Abraham to send Lazarus down with a little water for his tongue “for I am tormented in this flame”. Abraham told the rich man that those in Heaven can’t visit Hell. It is obvious from this passage that the dead rich man was quite wide-awake and hurting a lot and aware of others and others of him.

We know that those who have died are aware of what we do and hear our prayers because in some cases, GOD has allowed them to appear and tell us!

There are several documented cases of The Blessed Virgin Mary appearing and urging us to prayer and sacrifice:

England 1251: She appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the Great Scapular Promise that: “Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”

Guadalupe, Mexico 1531: She appeared to Jaun Deigo, caused roses to bloom in the winter, and put her Miraculous Image on his cloak, which can still be seen in Mexico.

Rue du Bac, Paris 1830: She appeared to St. Catherine Laboure and manifested the Medal of the Immaculate Conception (The Miraculous Medal).

La Salette, France 1846: She appeared to Maximin (age 9) and Melanie (age 14) and warned of the current crises in The Church.

Lourdes, France 1858: She appeared to St. Bernadette created a miraculous stream in the grotto there where many documented cures occur even to this day.

Fatima, Portugal 1917: She appeared to Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia (who is still alive). She foretold the end of World War I and World War II and warned of other punishments from GOD if we didn’t heed Her warnings. She performed The Miracle of the Sun which was seen by 100,000 people - believers and unbelievers.

There are many cases of The Poor Souls in Purgatory appearing to people begging for prayers or telling of their release. An excellent book on this subject is “Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints”, by Fr. F. X. Schouppe, S.J. It has many documented cases of their appearances. For example a nun by the name of Teresa Gesta burned her handprint in the wooden door during a visit begging for prayers. The print was found to match that of her exhumed body.

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4. Why pray to Saints and not directly to GOD Himself, Who is far more able to help us!

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Catholics do pray directly to GOD and probably more often than those who reject praying to the Saints! We also know that “The continual prayer of a just man availeth much.” James 5:16 and that “the Lord will hear the prayers of the just.” Prov. 15:20. The prayers of the Saints are more pleasing to GOD than our own prayers, because our souls may not be free of all sin and punishment due to sin, as are the souls of the Saints in Heaven. Our Merciful Lord called our attention to the Saints that are canonized, by allowing the miracles attributed to them. He did this so that we would study their lives as an example for us. During their lives, the Saints prayed to the Saints in heaven. He did this also, so that we could ask them to help us overcome problems, that perhaps they themselves overcame. Almighty GOD wants us to follow their example, by praying to the Saints ourselves as they did and facing temptations and trials as they did.

5. It is impossible for Mary to listen to 46,296 Rosary petitions every second year in and year out!