Are saints "more present" where their statues are?

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Similar to other responses, I’ll say that the saints are more present when we think about them and invoke them, something that the statues remind us to do. 🙂
 
It’s generally simple misunderstanding. Many people, especially nowadays, are not well versed in the supernatural aspects of Catholicism. The Church, with the possible exception of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, has been avoiding mysticism for several decades and tends not to teach or guide people very well on these subjects.

Plus, even with the best guidance in the world, there are still people who are motivated by their “feels” and if they go to Lourdes or Medj and think they can “Feel” Mary’s presence there more than in their bedroom at home, then it’s hard to talk them out of what they “Feel”.
 
Thank you for your explanation Bear. I too struggled with this and it prevented me joining the church before I did because I was worried about idolatry. I read a book called Catholicism for Dummies which said it’s like asking a friend to pray with you/for you which made sense to me. What I struggle with is how can a saint deal with millions of people’s prayers over the world who have a devotion to them, without being omnipresent? I try not to worry about it, I just do the prayer and remember that it’s ultimately God answering me anyway
 
God, assuming he wills to do so, equips saints with the ability to deal with prayers they receive. There are saints who could bilocate even while still on earth. I am sure God gives them even more increased capabilities in heaven. We should not try to understand the afterlife in terms of the physical limitations of time and space on earth because those simply aren’t present in the afterlife.
 
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I have a Catholic friend well into her 90s who explained to me one day that she fully accepted Catholic teaching on the intervention of saints, Mary as Mediatrix and the Trinity, but, when it came to prayer, she could ‘not be bothered’. “I just go straight to the top guy”.
 
I will tell you something, St Anthony is a great one for finding lost things. The only thing he didn’t help me find was my glasses which I lost at work. To be honest I think God allowed that one to stop me being so careless with my things. But he’s found a lot of things for me
 
I have days like that, I am trying to practice prayers with the saints though as I think God wants us to have a more communal approach to prayer including with the church triumphant
 
FiveLinden said:
when it came to prayer, she could ‘not be bothered’. “I just go straight to the top guy”.
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I used to struggle with that too. Then I had the experience, that praying for the same intention, first directly, nothing changed. Then prayed through intercession, and something extraordinary happened. So I came to the conclusion that it pleases the Lord, to grant us favors through intercession. I do not question why just accept it humbly. Also, historically, more miracles in the history of Christianity have happened trough intercession (especially Mary) than from direct prayer.
 
Re the whole “I go straight to the top guy” business, I was raised to think of the saints as my family.
St. Anthony, St. Patrick, St. Therese, St. Francis, and of course Mother Mary and St. Joseph were invoked daily by my mother, and my father devoutly wore his St. Jude medal that he had gotten when he converted and picked St. Jude as his patron because he just decided he liked St. Jude.
The idea of leaving them out of my prayer life would be like cutting off communications with a family member. My mother also brought up other saints from time to time like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine and St. Monica, and I read on my own and learned about even more saints. At this point, the saints are my friends/ extended family in Heaven. They do not take away from my relationship with God or Jesus, rather we all love and worship God and Jesus together and they help me to improve, it’s not just a matter of me asking them for favors.
 
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DrawNearToGod said:
I wonder if the statues honor them in a way that gets their attention.
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Certainly, statues and shrines (at home or elsewhere) give greater honor to the saints and God greatly blesses anyone who gives such honor. Decorating a statue with flowers, making the sign of the cross in front of it, or making a bow - praying before it with reverence and love – these are excellent and beneficial practices.
 
Vigilant said:
Call 'em whatever you want, but a statue, blessed by a priest, does convey a spiritual presence.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church . They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life …

They sanctify - help to make holy. Yes.
 
Bill_B_NY said:
Evidence please?
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As discussed in this article, believing that a statue has a god or a spirit or a spiritual presence in/ around the actual object of the statue is pagan. It suggests that the god/ spirit/ spiritual presence is less present if the statue is taken away or destroyed. Which, in Catholicism, is false.

The value of the statue is to focus our own mind on the person depicted, for purposes of prayer. If one perceives some increased spiritual presence, it is likely coming from our own mental focus; also, we can’t trust our feelings on these matters, because even when one cannot feel or perceive the presence of God, Mary, a saint etc they are still present to us for purposes of prayer.

As for sacramentals, they help to make us holy, but not by creating more of a spiritual presence of God, Mary or a saint around where the sacramental is, than would be there without the sacramental. God does not hover around or in the holy water font, Mary does not hover around or in my rosary.
 
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I think I will continue to hold the position I hold and allow you to continue to disagree with it. I firmly believe my position is correct.

Happy New Year, have a nice evening.
 
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