Intercessory prayer?

[kalt]

I was at a museum recently, and a guide, who was standing in front of a painting of Mary Magdelene, told the viewers this story.

At first people prayed to Jesus as an intercessor, because they thought it was sacriligious to pray directly to God. Then they prayed to Mary as an intercessor,because it seemed to much to go directly to Jesus. Then they added St Ann. And this painting is an example of that. (meaning an example of people praying to a saint as an intercessor for them because they thought it was too much to pray to God or even Jesus)

What do you think of that explanation of intercessory prayer?

How was intercessory prayer begun? When did people begin to consider the saints intercessors?

Was this done because people were afraid of talking directly to God? Jesus?

When did people start to say the Our Father?

 

[Orchanian]

At least as early as St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386), asking for the intercession of saints and martyrs was a common practice. St. Cyril wrote about it in many of his letters.

I don’t think that the explanation given by the guide was accurate. Most Christians would say that they ask others to pray for them, and that they pray for others as well. That’s intercessory prayer. The only difference is that Catholics don’t stop with those who have left this world. We believe in the communion on saints, and that we are one with those who have passed on. Our prayers to a saint don’t replace those to God, any more than our requests that friends pray for us doesn’t stop us from also asking God directly. Remember the wedding at Cana. Surely Jesus knew that the wine was gone. But the Gospel tells us that Mary asked Jesus to help. Nothing is written in Scripture without having a purpose. Here we are learning that when Mary asks Jesus for something, He will do it.

As for the Lord’s Prayer, that’s right in the Bible. Not sure when it was first prayed, but if Jesus gave it to us, it’s good enough for me.

 

[kalt]

I asked on the apologist’s board, too, and got no answer.

I’m beginning to think that no one really knows how or why intercessory prayer started. That’s really too bad. It’s a part of Catholic history that should have been recorded.

Maybe it was something that was very gradual and no one saw it as a “new” thing at any time. It’s sad, though, that we don’t know what the earliest Christians thought about intercessory prayer. Did they pray to Jesus because they thought praying to God the Father was too much, as the man claimed? Or did they see intercessory prayer as we see it today.

I’m thinking that the man may be very close to the truth, and that’s why the apologists haven’t answered the question. A dirty little secret about praying “to” saints?

 

[dcdurel]

God has always favored intecessors. When the Jews were being killed by the serpents in the desert, because they complained against God, there prayers were not answered until they as Moses to pray to God for them. Then after Moses interceded for them, God answered their prayers.

There are many, many more examples in the bible, such as Job interceeding for his friends who spoke against God, Mary interceeding at the wedding feast, and in James where he recalled how it did not rain for 3 years til Elisha interceeded and prayed for rain.

I think what your problem is that you think that somehow asking those in heaven to pray for us is wrong. Why? Those people in heaven are not far away, they are right next to us. As St. Paul says in Hebrews about the saints in heaven, “we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses”. Thus those in heaven can hear our prayers. Even Jesus said there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, then over 99 who have no need of repentance. How do those in heaven know when a sinner repents unless they hear his prayers of repentanc or unless God informs them of what he prayed. Either way, those in heaven certainly know our prayers, when we ask them to pray for us. And since those in heaven are even more holy and righteous than anyone on earth, why would anyone NOT want to ask for their intercession.

Another problem I see is that you think the basic teachings of the Church were made up as time progressed. You forget that Jesus taught the apostles everything (John 15:15) and then He sent the Holy Spirit to teach them “all things”. Thus the Church learned directly from God and learned the value of praying to the saints in heaven directly from Jesus. The Church does not learn basic doctrines from the bible. They already knew all saving truth. Thus, it was not a practice that “developed” later on.

 

[davidv]

Re: When did it begin.

Abraham interceded on behalf of residents of Sodom.

Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites when God threatens to start over.