Exploring the Saints

[zipperc98]

Hi there!

I’m a new Catholic…while I LOVE the idea of the communion of saints, and I love hearing stories of saints, quite honestly I do not pray to saints. I am NOT against it. I have a couple of rosaries, and I have prayed a small handful of times to saints.

Perhaps I don’t know HOW to pray to saints, or perhaps I don’t know WHY I should pray to saints. Again, I’m not against it. I haven’t received a witness to doing as such. I feel very touched through prayer to God, and I feel very touched through the Mass, and I even feel inspired and touched by many stories of the saints.

I printed a copy of the life and teachings of St. Catherine of Genoa, who is one of my patron saints, and started reading. I feel rather overwhelmed. On the one hand I find stories of the saints incredibly amazing, and even humbling. I am amazed at the faith they have, and part of me has a desire to be like them in many ways!

What would you suggest to a newbie who doesn’t really know where to begin on the saints. I need a way to ease into it, not necessarily throw myself wildly into the study. Perhaps you can give me suggestions, and reasons behind why it is important to you?

I hope my question makes sense. Thanks for any help!

 

[EzraJacob]

I understand how you feel. I feel the same way! I am a “newbie” to lol.

I have found the whole diary of St. Faustina for free online, and tried reading that. I have also found a few websites with a great collection of writings of the Saints and what not. But when I try to commit myself, I do not know if its because it evolves sitting at a computer all day or what, but I usually give up. Its not that I do not care, I am very devoted to the Divine Mercy.

So far, though I have found it easier to read bits and peices. Maybe a quick biography from catholic.org/saints/sofd.php.Theres the link to Catholic.org’s ‘Saint of the Day’. They usually have a short biography of the Saint, and its a new Saint everyday. And you can also look up any Saint you want. Even by Patron.

You could also learn about some Saints, by reading short writings. Such as the Poems by St. Teresa of Avila. My favorite is ‘To Scatter Flowers’.

Here is a link to many works saintsbooks.net/BooksList.html

 

[EzraJacob]

On praying to Saints, I to do not do it much. Though lately I have been asking St Francis and St. Anthony to pray for my cat has ran away. But most of the time I pray for God to give me the devout Faith, strength and courage as he has given all the Saints before. I do pray to Padre Pio a lot. Padre Pio for he was blessed with stigmata and though I do not know much about him, I know he had much courage and strength and devout faith. Especially since he was not treated to well at first by his superiors.

But with Saints, I find it more useful to learn about them and try to model yourself after them.

Here is a site and ill post an example though of the kind of prayers that can help. They are usually to certain times and situations though.

“Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints” O Holy Saint Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me [request]. O gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.

Here are some websites for Prayer to Saints and Prayers by Saints
ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/index.htm
catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?s=41

 

[jesus4ever]

you are not forced to pray to them. unless you have a special intention or you really need help from them to assit you in some type of need.
EzraJacob is right it’s useful to learn about them and try to model yourself after them. you are not going to be excited about every saint you read about but their are many who you will read about and think to yourself wow.

there are also many people such as nuns, priest very good people who are not saints yet but are in the process or will be know saints to us in the future.

I can not help but to mention a women by the name of Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio
who died in 1990. she was born very early she was only in the womb for 6 months, she was the first the find a cure for leprosy, and Her most important legacy to us is the Message of the Father (“The Father speaks to His children”), the only private revelation made personally by God the Father and recognized as authentic by the Church after ten years of the most rigorous examination.
PEOPLE PLEASE FIND OUT ABOUT THIS IT WILL CHANGE YOUR HEART AND ALSO THINKING ON SOMETHINGS

iesvs.tripod.com/Father.htm

theworkofgod.org/Library/Trinity/Father/Eugenia.htm

jesusiam.com/father.html

I tried to make a thread about it recently but somebody deleted it. I can not understand why because it is recognized as authentic by the Church. whoever took it off simply never heard of this thus taking the thread off but people need to know these things. it very important that the FATHER message is know by us all.

 

[Dorothy]

Just a few thoughts on how I pray to saints:

First I thank the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the graces that sanctified that particular saint. Then I thank the saint for cooperating with God’s grace.

I acknowledge that the saint is alive in the Body of Christ and sees God face to face. I then ask the saint to intercede for my intentions.

I pray to saints whose lives and personalities have inspired me.

 

[Ad_Altare_Dei_1]

I simply talk to different saints like a friend who has face-to-face access to God. I ask them to intercede for me, that is, plead my case before God. I also ask them to garner me graces according to their particular charism (if I’m saying that correctly). For instance, I pray to St. Maria Goretti to intercede for me that I might receive the grace to valiantly fight off sexual temptation, as she did to the point of death. I pray to my patron saint to obtain for me the grace to follow their example in life. I pray to St. Theresa of Avila to obtain for me the grace to grow in the prayer life as she did, to the point of perfect spiritual union with God. And, like many others, I pray to St. Anthony when I’ve lost something and need to find it.

Right now I’m praying to St. Joseph to help me be a better, more attentive and more productive worker.