An outsider's analogy for praying to saints

[MNathaniel]

My understanding (and correct me if I am wrong) is that God has a plan and has a one-on-one relationship with each of us.

I can only repeat that God is a good Father – not just of isolated children chained up in separate rooms from one another, but Father of a family. He does indeed have a one-on-one relationship with each of us – and at the same time he also wants us to have meaningful relationships with each other. He doesn’t mind us advocating on one another’s behalf; he even encourages us to advocate for each other.

I’m also not sure what you mean about God “changing his answer to a prayer”.

God doesn’t change. God’s plan has been foreknown by Him in all its parts, from the beginning. He has always knows how each of us would choose to interact with him because he is outside of time, so his plan has always taken our own involvement into account. So he doesn’t ‘change’ in the sense of change his intention; he has always known from the beginning of the world whether you’d ask him for all-meat pizza directly, or whether you’d ask your sister to request the all-meat pizza on your behalf. And God always interacts with us in whatever the best possible way is in all situations – whether or not we can predict it or see it at all times for what it is.

 

[MNathaniel]

If it’s not a matter of the saint providing knowledge to God then it sounds more like God playing favorites

In the example I gave, would you consider it legitimate or somehow “off” if Daughter B got huffy and accused me of “playing favourites” for choosing to make the pizza requested by Daughter A?

Would “playing favourites” really be your reading of the situation I described? That would seem over-simplified, to me.

 

[jochoa]

Hello,

Here are 3 points that stood out to me regarding the Intercession of Saints:

1. The meme can easily be misconstrued. When Mother Mary prays to God, she learns about God in a distinct way, and she can share that distinct knowledge about God to others that are in similar positions. Therefore, rather than it being God consulting with the Saints, it is us consulting with the Saints to learn more about God. Since this consultation is a good thing, it could be stated that “Mother Mary has said good things about you to God,” yet it is inaccurate to say that God changed because of Mother talking about you to Him. Rather, God, in His infinite mercy, designed and implemented a plan of intercession to help His most lost sheep find their way home.
2. This begs the question: Why then does God not directly answer all, given it is well with His capability? Because God knows that directly answering all would forfeit His grand purpose for creation: the creation of beings who freely choose to love as God loves, OR his option to grant as much mercy as possible.
3. I propose this analogy for your consideration: God as the goal in a sporting event, we are the amateurs, and the Saints are the coaches and professionals. The goal doesn’t change, yet intercession of the coaches and professionals will help the amateurs attain the goal more efficiently and effectively, even though the amateurs could learn from the goal just the same as the coaches and professionals learned before them.

Thanks for your time and consideration! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[JimG]

Yes. If God has with him in heaven a communion of many saints (“a cloud of witnesses”) and he is in union with them, and he wants us to be with him in heaven, and he wants us to pray for each other, he may will to grant prayers which are offered through his saints.