Can saints do anything of their own power?

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Absalom

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As I’ve been listening to fellow Catholics talk about saints lately, I’ve noticed a tendency to say things like, “Ask St. So-and-So for help” or “Ask St. So-and-So for guidance.” This kind of language makes it sound like the person expects a particular saint to effect a change of his/her own power. I’ve searched the Catechism and found nothing to support such a belief, and I can’t find anything in scripture, either. My understanding of what saints can do for us is that they can pray for us, nothing more. What do you all think?
 
Absalom!:
As I’ve been listening to fellow Catholics talk about saints lately, I’ve noticed a tendency to say things like, “Ask St. So-and-So for help” or “Ask St. So-and-So for guidance.” This kind of language makes it sound like the person expects a particular saint to effect a change of his/her own power. I’ve searched the Catechism and found nothing to support such a belief, and I can’t find anything in scripture, either. My understanding of what saints can do for us is that they can pray for us, nothing more. What do you all think?
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Saints can do nothing without God, Jesus said you can do nothing without me.
I read, can’t recall exactly where, but the reason that certain Saints are prayed to in certain circumstances is that God wants to honour that Saint.
Some are over zealous in this regard though, but I can’t fault their faith.
Funny thing in Ireland though is Saint Patrick is our patron Saint, but Saint Anthony is invoked more.
I used to send my prayer requests to Saint Anthony’s shrine in Dublin, haven’t done for sometime now, also Saint Pio is held in high regard.
 
I read in St. Teresa of Avila that her friend, St. Peter of Alcantara, appeared to her after his death and helped her understand God’s will about founding her convents in poverty. She had received a lot of opposition as she tried to obtain a Bull from Rome, for this was a new thing for those times, and it was believed this would not be prudent. Isn’t it great that they knew each other in life?

There is also a biography of St. Gemma Galgani telling about St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother appearing to her, giving her advice to join the Passionist Order. She had been rejected in attempts to join other orders, so he was instrumental in guiding her where God wanted her. Both are Passionist saints. Beautiful biographies, by the way!

These are the only two that come quickly to mind, since I have read both accounts, but there may be many more. It seems that God does permit special manifestations by saints in order to help us with a special cause.
 
Absalom!:
As I’ve been listening to fellow Catholics talk about saints lately, I’ve noticed a tendency to say things like, “Ask St. So-and-So for help” or “Ask St. So-and-So for guidance.” This kind of language makes it sound like the person expects a particular saint to effect a change of his/her own power. I’ve searched the Catechism and found nothing to support such a belief, and I can’t find anything in scripture, either. My understanding of what saints can do for us is that they can pray for us, nothing more. What do you all think?
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Can saints do anything of their own power? Sure they can. They can blow their nose, part their hair, pass gas, etc.

Seriously though, did Moses part the Red Sea of his own power? Everything a saint does is not done by the saint; it is done by God through the saint. It all depends on whatever God wills the saint to do or participate in. It all comes under the heading of God being generous to the saint and rewarding them with what they desire most; a further chance to love others and be of help to them.

Thal59
 
Absalom!:
As I’ve been listening to fellow Catholics talk about saints lately, I’ve noticed a tendency to say things like, “Ask St. So-and-So for help” or “Ask St. So-and-So for guidance.” This kind of language makes it sound like the person expects a particular saint to effect a change of his/her own power. I’ve searched the Catechism and found nothing to support such a belief, and I can’t find anything in scripture, either. My understanding of what saints can do for us is that they can pray for us, nothing more. What do you all think?
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It is my understanding that they can pray for us. It is also my understanding that whatever they are the patron saint of they may specialize in that area “You lost your keys? Ask Saint Anthony to pray for you”.
 
Saints do nothing on their own power, but they are humans created by God who served Him well on earth and continue to serve Him in heaven. The Catechism reminds us that there is a communion of the Church between Heaven and Earth. The following quotes found in the Catechism explains the intercession of the saints:

CCC 956 The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness…(T)hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as the proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus…So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."

Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life (St. Dominic, dying, to his brothers.)

I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. (St. Therese of Lisieux)

So as I understand this, they not only pray, but they offer the “merits” that they earned during their life through Jesus Christ.

I don’t know if this is explained in the Catechism, but “patron saints” typically relate to the works they accomplished on earth. For example, St. Dominic Savio died when he was just a teenager and he lived an exemplerary life, so he is a patron saint of school boys because he showed how a school boy can follow Jesus well. Sometimes the connection is rather odd, for example St. Stephen, who was stoned to deat, is the patron saint of stonemasons and bricklayers. I think of “patron saints” as “specializing” in certain areas of Christian life.

Of course you can ask any saint to pray for you regardless of their “specialty”. As Jesus has perfected them, their prayers will be more perfect than what yours or mine might be. God is generous with His friends, and He shares His glory with the saints as they in turn glorify God first in their lives on earth and now in heaven.
 
I look at it very simple. I know a Saint is in Heaven next to Christ (you have to be a Saint if you are in Heaven with Christ) and the more people I have screaming in His ear my request, the better off I will be. This is not to say God does not hear me when I speak, but if I have St. Philomena begging and annoying Him for me… ALL THE BETTER!!!
 
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