Does praying to different saints have different effects?

[x1980x]

Please forgive me. I’m coming from a spiritual background that is very practical. One prays for what one wants in plain language, and as long as it is in good faith and addressed to the Trinity or any of the Persons of the Trinity, it is valid.

I have learned that Catholics believe that, by praying to a saint, they can gain an advocate in heaven who can be a better advocate to God than that person could alone.

How does the saint that one selects effect the outcome?

I can see that some Catholics feel an emotional bond with some saints. But is that all there is? Is the choice between praying to one saint over another solely based on feelings of affinity with the saint chosen, or is there supposed to be a practical effect? Forgive me for thinking like an engineer, but is it believed, for example, that certain saints are “better” at convincing God regarding the subject matter of certain classes of prayers? For example, has it ever been observed or taught that, say, praying to St. Christopher to prevent a car breakdown results in 20% fewer breakdowns than praying to St. Luke the Physician for it, and results in 60% fewer breakdowns than praying to St. Gregory the Great? If not, how does one decide which, of all the saints, one should pray to? If not, what exactly does it mean for a saint to be a patron of specific people or specific needs, if the choice of saint does not affect the outcome?

 

[Monte_RCMS]

One of my skeptical friends [an engineer, by the way … who claims to be a "frisbeetarian … when you die, your soul goes up on the roof] … likes to joke around that all of us are unique, just like everyone else.

[Please add YOUR prayers to mine for my friend!]

But, in fact, everybody IS unique.

Everybody has their individual personality quirks [my friend would say “quarks”] … we are all “individuals” … we all have free will.

And each of us has individual and separate life experiences.

Certainly a saint like Saint Paul has had a totally different life experience from a saint such as Saint Bernadette.

Because each saint is different, we may feel that one saint or another can relate to our situation better than another. OR, that we can relate to one saint or another better than to some other.

So, there are lists of saints … this one is the patron saint of lawyers and that one is the patron saint of fathers or carpenters and that other one is the patron saint of people who suffer from mental illness.

It’s not so much that they have different effects, but that each saint had a different life experience. And so, based on that “kinship” or feeling of closeness, we are perfectly fine with asking a particular saint or other to pray for us and for our special needs.

A lot of my protestant friends belong to prayer circles. When someone is ill or experiencing some kind of distress, they put the word out and pray for that person.

Well, we can ask our spiritual friend in heaven, our special saint, to pray to God for us.

These saints are very special people. Because in the best judgment of the Church, they are WITH GOD! So, since they have God’s Ear, we can ask them to put a special word in for us and for our needs.

We pray about the Communion of Saints. It’s part of the basics of the Catholic Church.

The Saints are an asset; make use of their influence with God.

[Please keep in mind also, that there are miracles … certified miracles. So, we are perfectly within our rights to ask for yet another miracle. Read up on an almost-saint … an American … Father Solanus Casey … he was the recipient of numerous insults … and yet he began “getting” miracles … so many that his superior told him to start keeping track … and the list filled book after book. Bernie Casey of Detroit … Fr. Solanus Casey. Read up on him. Streetcar conductor. Boxer. Appreciator of a cold beer on a hot day. Soon to be a saint. One who experienced ecstasy states in the presence of Our Lord.]

Look him up.

 

[beth40n2]

Please forgive me. I’m coming from a spiritual background that is very practical. One prays for what one wants in plain language, and as long as it is in good faith and addressed to the Trinity or any of the Persons of the Trinity, it is valid.

I see that you are Mennonite. I am familiar with your church. I understand that most Mennonite churches have no crucifix any decorations. As you can see I am a Methodist convert. Communion of saints is a new concept for most protestants.

I have learned that Catholics believe that, by praying to a saint, they can gain an advocate in heaven who can be a better advocate to God than that person could alone.

How does the saint that one selects effect the outcome?

I can see that some Catholics feel an emotional bond with some saints. But is that all there is? Is the choice between praying to one saint over another solely based on feelings of affinity with the saint chosen, or is there supposed to be a practical effect? Forgive me for thinking like an engineer, but is it believed, for example, that certain saints are “better” at convincing God regarding the subject matter of certain classes of prayers? For example, has it ever been observed or taught that, say, praying to St. Christopher to prevent a car breakdown results in 20% fewer breakdowns than praying to St. Luke the Physician for it, and results in 60% fewer breakdowns than praying to St. Gregory the Great? If not, how does one decide which, of all the saints, one should pray to? If not, what exactly does it mean for a saint to be a patron of specific people or specific needs, if the choice of saint does not affect the outcome?

First of all we do believe in taking our prayers directly to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Just as you may ask a friend to pray for you about a matter, you also can ask a saint to pray for you.

The church has determined what each saint is the patron saint off. For example Sr. Maria Goretti was a young girl who died definding her purity when her agressor was trying to rape her, he never did succeed. So she is a patron saint of the youth and of purity. We can ask her to pray for our youth, and if our youth is dating, we can ask for her intercession to pray for them to stay pure.

My patron saint Elizabeth Anne Seton was the first American convert saint who started the Catholic school system. So I ask her to pray for me as a convert, also for me when I am teaching youth in our church.

Here is more information about praying to saints. catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp
catholic.com/library/Intercession_of_the_Saints.asp

Patron Saint topics catholic-forum.com/saints/patron00.htm

I will be praying for the Holy Spirit to teach you about the saints.