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Carlj1497
Guest
How do you ask Saints to pray for you? If you ask Mary to pray for you, do you ask differently than any other Saint? Can a non Catholic even do this?
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louisak
Guest
There are formal, composed prayers, which are good to use, but it is also good to address the saints simply and directly. I pray to my guardian angel all the time, but it doesn’t really feel like “praying”, I just talk to him conversationally. The angels and saints are our friends; more than friends, they are like family members. We should feel free to speak to them about whatever is on our minds and hearts.
And yes, you can do it even if you are non-Catholic.
And yes, you can do it even if you are non-Catholic.
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ProdglArchitect
Guest
God embraces everyone, whether they be Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. He welcomes all who seek Him. Since the saints strive in all they do to emulate God and Jesus, then yes, of course they would listen to the prayers of non Catholics ^^
As for how you ask Mary, I would say not any differently. She is a Saint after all, in fact, she is the Proto-Saint, the one fully human being who is closest in nature to God. In striving to be saintly, you could almost say we’re striving to be Marian.
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Myqyl
Guest
The only thing I’d add is that it might be better to think of it as “talking to” the Saints instead of praying. The word “Pray” has changed it’s meaning in the last several centuries and many of our non-Catholic friends get confused when they hear we “pray” to Saints. I typically keep it conversational as with an elder relative. Typically my prayers are short and sweet… “Mary, please pray for me”… “Saint Anthony, Please help”…
And the most important prayer comes later… “Mary, Thank You!”
God bless
And the most important prayer comes later… “Mary, Thank You!”
God bless
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Kenny_Kamel
Guest
I usually pray for a Saint’s intercession in a way along these lines:
*Blessed Mother, I am struggling in my feelings of closeness to Our Lord. Please intercede for me so that I may come to know the same type of intimacy that you shared with Our Lord as his mother. *
**
Saint Ignatius, you were a late bloomer in your faith and a soldier as was I. Please intercede for me so that though the discipline we both learned I could use such to enhance my faith and live my life more fully according to Our Lord’s Divine Will.
When I pray for the intercession of a Saint I tend to think of what that Saint did in their life and how it relates to my life. Their struggles, what they did to overcome them, and how I can apply it.
*Blessed Mother, I am struggling in my feelings of closeness to Our Lord. Please intercede for me so that I may come to know the same type of intimacy that you shared with Our Lord as his mother. *
**
Saint Ignatius, you were a late bloomer in your faith and a soldier as was I. Please intercede for me so that though the discipline we both learned I could use such to enhance my faith and live my life more fully according to Our Lord’s Divine Will.
When I pray for the intercession of a Saint I tend to think of what that Saint did in their life and how it relates to my life. Their struggles, what they did to overcome them, and how I can apply it.
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georget
Guest
Saint Jude please pray for me to be strong in my faith.
Saint Anthony please pray that I never let my illnesses get in the way of my prayers.
Saint Peter please pray that I never deny Our Lord.
Saint Francis please pray for my grandsons, that they grow to be sons of God
Saint Therese Little Flower please pray for my grand daughters, that they grow to daughters of God.
Mother Mary please pray for my family.
Saint Anthony please pray that I never let my illnesses get in the way of my prayers.
Saint Peter please pray that I never deny Our Lord.
Saint Francis please pray for my grandsons, that they grow to be sons of God
Saint Therese Little Flower please pray for my grand daughters, that they grow to daughters of God.
Mother Mary please pray for my family.
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starsmurf
Guest
As another poster said, God and the Saints want to hear from you, whoever you are and whatever religion you are (or aren’t). I know that a lot of Catholic practices can be difficult for others to understand, as I’m a convert to Catholicism.
While I make “formal”, set prayers to the Saints, I also have informal prayers, where I just chat to them. For example, yesterday was the Feast of the Saint I took as my “patron” at my Confirmation, St Therese of Lisiuex. I sang “Happy Birthday” for her and I just spoke to her as I would one of my sisters. I often chat to her or another of the Saints as I go about my day. I also talk to Mary a lot. I tell her all my problems and ask her to pray for help in finding a solution.
Don’t be afraid to pray to the Saints in whatever way suits you best. Ask them for help and guidance in your life. Ask them to pray for you, to ask God to give you the strength, support and guidance you need in life. Try looking up the life stories of some of the Saints, you’ll often find one who you feel some connection with. That’s often a good Saint to start with, as you can relate to them, instead of seeing them as some sort of perfect person who never made a mistake.
When I converted to the Catholic Church, I was given a booklet that contained a wonderful guide to praying to God. In it, you were invited to tell God all your troubles, all about the pain you’d experienced and also invited you to tell Him all the good things. It was a wonderful prayer guide, written as if God Himself were speaking to you as your loving Father. It gave me a new perspective on what prayer actually is.
Whatever your situation in life, you can always pray to the Saints, Mary, the Holy Spirit, Jesus or God the Father. They will always be happy to listen to you.
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Dubay
Guest
why would you not direct your energy in prayer to the savior Jesus Christ?
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johnnyjones
Guest
You can. But sometimes asking your friend to ask his mom instead of his mom directly can have a greater appeal through connectivity.
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Dubay
Guest
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johnnyjones
Guest
Don’t equate all on earth to the heavenly realm. Analogies only go so far.
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Dubay
Guest
Respectfully it was your analogy with asking Mom
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johnnyjones
Guest
Right, don’t take my analogy too far. It’s just a learning tool.
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Dorothy
Guest
When I ask a saint (a member of the Body of Christ who is fully sanctified and with the Lord) for intercession, first I thank the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for creating and for sanctifying that person with His grace.
Then I thank the saint for cooperating with the grace of God in a heroic way. I then ask the saint to intercede for me for something (for the grace to pray better, for the grace to live in God’s presence, for the grace to not resent a particular person, for my adult children and my grandchildren, etc.)
I can add other prayers in which I adore the Lord, thank Him for however He wills to answer the prayer, and also ask the Lord for the grace to trust Him more in all things.
You can ask Blessed Mother to pray for you and thank her for her obedience to the will of God in all things.
Yes, a non-Catholic can do this also. We have a Mother and a lot of friends in Heaven!
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, different personalities pray in different ways, but basically we need to be reverent and desire only God’s will to be done.
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starsmurf
Guest
Can I ask why, as a Catholic, you have a problem with someone praying to the Saints? We’re only asking them to pray for us, not worshipping them, so why does it make a difference how that prayer gets there?
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Myqyl
Guest
for your consideration :
Matthew 18:19 — Pray with others
Luke 6:28 — Pray for others
Acts 8:24 —“pray for me” Peter
2Corinthians 13:7-9 Paul prays for them
Colossians 1:3 Paul prays for them as well
Colossians 4:3 Paul asks them to pray for him
1 Thessalonians 5:25 ----- etc, etc, etc… it goes on butr I’m at work
God bless, and I will pray for you. Please pray for me…
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Dorothy
Guest
We are supposed to worship and adore the Lord every day! We should be doing that much more than intercessory prayer. But we believe in intercessory prayer to those who have gone before us.
Intercessory prayer to the saints and His Blessed Mother glorifies Him, because they are His handiwork! It was His grace that made them what they have become.
Many people ask other people (who are still on this earth) to pray for them. And a lot of them are not Catholic.
Why are the non-Catholics not going only to the Lord?
Catholics take it a step further…we not only ask our friends here to pray for us at times, but we also ask our friends in Heaven.
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Dubay
Guest
Nice scripture love it, but nothing there says pray to saints or Mary. As God rebuked those who prayed to saints in Revelations. Timothy 2:5 is also validation.
We have a mediator named Jesus Christ. I just have a honest disagreement about why pray to Saints when we have a direct relationship with Christ and God. I think its more biblical and respectful of true deity.
We have a mediator named Jesus Christ. I just have a honest disagreement about why pray to Saints when we have a direct relationship with Christ and God. I think its more biblical and respectful of true deity.
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Dubay
Guest
Please pray for me and I will pray for you. But please don’t pray to me and I will not pray to you.
God Bless.
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CountrySteve
Guest
r u sure your Catholic?
The Church teaches we can ask for the Saints prayers
js
God bless
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