Do saints react to how we pray to them?

[fred_conty]

St. Francis is in heaven and therefore he cannot experience any kind of suffering or pain. But none the less, if someone were to talk to him in a disrespectful and onery way, wouldn’t he react differently than if someone spoke with reverance, honor and trust to him?

So if someone were to speak to him with a demanding attitude, while another person with a graceful attitude, would St. Francis respond differently or do you think he would disregard attitudes?

 

[TK421]

Visions of Jesus from mystics describe him responding in human ways to different actions and attitudes from humans on Earth, because Jesus is a human being. If Jesus does it, by default, we can say that other humans in Heaven do it as well.

 

[crystal_waters]

St. Francis is in heaven and therefore he cannot experience any kind of suffering or pain. But none the less, if someone were to talk to him in a disrespectful and onery way, wouldn’t he react differently than if someone spoke with reverance, honor and trust to him?

So if someone were to speak to him with a demanding attitude, while another person with a graceful attitude, would St. Francis respond differently or do you think he would disregard attitudes?

Why would anybody want to talk to St Francis (or any Saint) in disrespectful or demanding way?

If a person is asking for his help it would be nice to at least be polite to him when you ask for his help, after all he is not a genie in a bottle that we can demand that he do something and expect him to do it, he is a Catholic Saint of God residing in Heaven and deserves respect and to be spoken to decently.

For example if a stranger walked up to you in the street and spoke disrespectful and demanding to you and still expected you to do them a favour a natural reaction would be to get away from the rude person …but if the stranger asked for the same favour politely a person would be more inclined to help…

God bless you

Crystal waters

 

[Neofight]

So if someone were to speak to him with a demanding attitude, while another person with a graceful attitude, would St. Francis respond differently or do you think he would disregard attitudes?

No. The saint would simply carry the prayers, all prayers, to the Lord.

 

[fred_conty]

TK421, very interesting. I believe in St. Pauls writtings he more or less says the same thing…that we should always give thanks in all things, which has to do with our attitude. Even our Lord himself was disappointed in only 1 of 10 lepers healed returning to him to thank him. It seems that Jesus is affected by what we say or not say. Maybe the mystics have something for all.

Crystal waters, wouldn’t a person be demanding if they did not get what they asked for and in their heart resented this whether they said so or not? Right here on CAF I have seen people resent God for not answering their prayers … yet I thought their attitude was very poor by being so demanding. One member here became an atheist because according to them they were not answered the way they wanted. They even express their anger. Whether they are addressing a saint or God, love and trust would be hard to refuse.

Neofight, I think what they bring to the Lord is for the best for the interest of the one praying. And the prayer brought before God may not be the original prayer but rather a prayer that will help the person to respect and to have charity first.

I don’t know which Psalm it is, but one of them brings up this very idea… that God answers those who respect him.

Thanks to all for your responses.

 

[ChikaisHis]

I think perhaps if someone is disrespectful when asking for a saint’s intersession, then that tells the saint that the person is in even greater need of prayer.

If someone asked us to pray for them in a disrespectful way, what would the Christian response be? Not to hold it against them because they are rude, but to pray even harder for them, right? (Both their request, and for them to grow in love/ for help with whatever might be causing them to come across as disrespectful).

 

[fred_conty]

I think perhaps if someone is disrespectful when asking for a saint’s intersession, then that tells the saint that the person is in even greater need of prayer.

If someone asked us to pray for them in a disrespectful way, what would the Christian response be? Not to hold it against them because they are rude, but to pray even harder for them, right? (Both their request, and for them to grow in love/ for help with whatever might be causing them to come across as disrespectful).

If they pray in that disrespectful way, might even be a sin?

 

[lilpoppie]

The saints hate me because I am full of sin. They hate sin so yes they react to me ,much different than a holy person.

 

[christofirst]

In Heaven, our understanding is far greater than it is here in this life. I believe the saints clearly see through all of the motivations and limitations that cause us to pray one way or another. My guess is that they do not react in the same way we might now, clouded as we are by emotion, selfishness, sin and misunderstanding, but that they only seek what is best for us in accord with God’s will. I think they can discern our true intentions better than we can now.

 

[fred_conty]

In Heaven, our understanding is far greater than it is here in this life. I believe the saints clearly see through all of the motivations and limitations that cause us to pray one way or another. My guess is that they do not react in the same way we might now, clouded as we are by emotion, selfishness, sin and misunderstanding, but that they only seek what is best for us in accord with God’s will. I think they can discern our true intentions better than we can now.

I think of a saint as somewhat like parents. Parents give good things to their children and sometimes they give things to the children to make the child happy. But if the child comes to the parent demanding or in a fitful way asking for something, the parents would say no in order to teach the child good behavior.

So wouldn’t a good attitude have real value in whether we receive a yes or no? And don’t some have the attitude that if the saint doesn’t give them what they want, they won’t pray to the saint any more?