Barry wrote in my combox today – in response to my post entitled “Where Does the Bible Say We Should Pray to Dead Saints?” – Resources about Communion of the Saints I thought I would respond briefly.

Barrry wrote: Would you please read the Lord’s prayer. Jesus prayed it. He was giving an example of how to pray. He didn’t pray to Peter, Paul, Mary, or John-who took care of Jesus’s mother and wrote Revelation. No, He prayed to His Father. This is Jesus Himself praying, should we not follow Him, as He asked Peter and His disciples to follow Him. This reference in 350AD is close to 270 years or more after the disciples died. The disciples who wrote the gospel. Do their words of what Christ told them mean nothing?

STEVE RAY RESPONDS BRIEFLY:

FIRST, thanks for writing Barry and God bless you. You start out with a seeming tone of condescension. Of course, I have read the Lord’s Prayer, in fact, I have it memorized 🙂  By the way, we Catholics refer to John 17 as the Lords’ Prayer. What you call the Lords’ Prayer we usually refer to as the Our Father.

SECOND, is it ONLY to the Father that we should pray? Is Jesus’ example restricting us from “praying” to anyone else? This seems to be your implication. However, should we also pray to Jesus? Is that allowed? And what about the Holy Spirit? Should we pray to him or is that disallowed? According to your statements above we should not pray to Jesus and the Holy Spirit! If you say we are allowed (and should) pray to the Holy Spirit you may be interested to know that nowhere in Scripture are we told to do that nor do we have an example of someone who does. Yes, most Christians would agree we should pray to Jesus and the Holy Spirit as well as to the Father.

THIRD, The words pray and worship are two different words with different meanings. Pray Is to ask for something, it means a petition or a request. Worship means to do just that, worship and adore. Worship is something reserved for the Trinity alone. Protestants tend to see pray and worship as synonyms which is one reason they often react so negatively to the reality of the intercession of the saints.

When we pray to Saint it is not worshiping them. It is asking them to intercede WITH us as we pray to God himself. God is the only one who can answer prayers.

FOURTH, when Jesus was on the earth the Saints were not yet in glory–heaven had not been opened yet. When Jesus ascended to heaven he brought the dead with him into the presence of God. From that point on they’re in the presence of God himself and can intercede personally for people still on earth (or do you think they can’t or don’t care?) 

Like I asked my mother who doubts the saints are aware of things on the earth and can intercede for us. “Do you think Dad has forgotten you, doesn’t care about you anymore or isn’t ask the Lord to bless you? Dad is sitting in his favorite chair having coffee with Our Lord Jesus waiting for you to arrive to love you better than ever before. In the meantime, he is praying for you and very intent on your well being. (Read my article, “Marriage in Heaven? Will We Know and Love our Spouses in Heaven?”

FIFTH, we are commanded to pray for each other and to ask others to pray for us. We believe the church is one organic body not split up and divided. Those in heaven are part of the body of Christ like we are. We ask them to intercede for us just like I could ask you to intercede for me.

Even though right now I can’t see you or talk to you personally I can use technology to do it to ask you to intercede for me. I don’t know how spiritual technology works but I certainly trust the Scriptures and the Church. The Saints are very much alive in the presence of God and they are concerned about what’s going on down on earth (consider Moses at the Transfiguration in Luke 9:30-31). The Saints in the presence of God in heaven can easily request of God benefits on our behalf.

SIXTH, Believers have been asking for the prayers of the Saints since the beginning. All one has to do is look at the graffiti left in the catacombs to see where they said from the first centuries “Peter and Paul pray for us”. In the catacombs of St. Sebastian there’s one segment of wall covering the former tombs of Sts.  Peter and Paul. There are 614 requests for intersession scratched into the wall from the very first Christians. They were (praying=asking) for the intercession of these two great martyrs and saints.

This is just scratching the surface. There is so much more to say but if you’re interested you’ll find the sources. If you’re not then I feel sorry for you. I am so happy that back in my former years as a Protest-ant it was just “Me and Jesus” but now the heavens have opened and I realize I am part of something much bigger, the Mystical Body of Christ with the Communion of the Saints. Blessed be God forever.

I recommend Patrick Madrid’s book Any Friend of God’s is a Friend of Mine.

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This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Bill912

    Barry also says of the Our Father: “Jesus prayed it.” He most certainly did not. He told us to call His Father “our Father” , but He never did, as our sonship is different from His; He is the natural Son, we are the adopted sons. Jesus referred to His Father as “My Father and your Father”, “My God and your God.”

    Jesus never asked His Father “forgive us our trespasses”. Jesus is God; He committed no sins; He had no trespasses to be forgiven.

  2. Greg Hogan

    In circumstances like that I always try to find what Jesus said on the subject.
    Jesus related the story of the woman that went directly to the judge for justice.
    Jesus' words on the subject of prayer are succinct, specific and effective.
    Up until Jesus, no one even dared speak the name of God for fear.
    Jesus said, speak directly to your father. He revealed that there is no barrier between our Father and his children.
    Why would anyone want to add to his instructions??

    STEVE RAY HERE: Then don’t pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit or YOU are adding to his instructions.

  3. Greg Hogan

    STEVE RAY HERE: "Then don’t pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit or YOU are adding to his instructions."

    I realize that there are many issues and permutations of issues.
    The specific point that Jesus addressed is that God is directly approachable on any concern/ issue by anyone, anytime.

    Thoughts?

    STEVE RAY HERE: God is accessible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We know that. Jesus taught us that we could now address God as Father “Abba” because we are adopted sons. He established a Church, a family, and we can all intercede and approach the Father for each other through prayer. We pray and intercede for each other. All members of the family can do this — those on earth and those in heaven.

  4. Richard Pinion

    And, I’ll add my two cents worth. Did not Jesus say “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

  5. Steve Cunningham

    You should really look at St Bellarmine’s book on defense of vegetation of the saints. Magnificent work https://mediatrixpress.com/?p=4163

  6. Raymond Medina Hernandez

    You nailed it Bro. Steve! Love and prayers from Manila, Philippines.

  7. Anne

    Thank you Steve Ray for answering and defending the Catholic Faith!! You are a blessing to our Faith! I hope someday to meet you and travel on a Pilgrimage with you!!

  8. Francis

    Thanks Steve Ray for the answer. Good analysis and point by point. Your days as a Protest-ant has helped you to hone your skills in Defending the Catholic Faith. God bless all.

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