Is it all right to ask our dead to pray for us?

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sanogy

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I have always believed it was OK to ask our dead to pray for us
as well as our praying for the dead. Today someone questioned
that the dead could help us here on earth. Could someone
set me straight on this so I can explain it to a non-believer? I
believe there is a passage in the bible that mentions this.
Thanks so much and I am delighted to have found this Catholic
forum. I am a life long Catholic.
 
In the Apostle’s Creed, we say, “…I believe the the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints…” This body consist of the souls on Earth, in Heaven, and in Purgatory; we cannot see those in Heaven or Purgatory, but we can indeed converse together spiritually.

So, to answer your question, yes it is alright to ask the dead to pray for us, just as it is alright to ask living people to pray for us. Besides, all of the well-know saints, and even our most highly venerated saint, the Blessed Virgin Mary, have all passed from the Earth, and we fervently pray to them. Why not ask others?

I hope this helps out. God bless.
 
I’m having the same problem…
trying to explain this to the Protestants.
Is there any good idea what I can do, brothers and sisters?
 
Isla said:
I’m having the same problem…
trying to explain this to the Protestants.
Is there any good idea what I can do, brothers and sisters?
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What Protestant would tell a fellow Christian “no” when asked to pray for someone? The more likely response would be “certainly…and please pray for me to”. Jesus instructed us to pray for one another. How fitting is it, then, that instead of solely asking our fellow “brothers” here on earth to pray for us, that we should ask those who are with God in Heaven to pray for us?

Something just as important I’d like to point out: We also need to pray FOR the dead…those who may be in torment as they are “cleansed as by fire” or are being “purged of the stain of sin” prior to be accepted into God’s Kingdom.
 
Bible verses on this topic:

Communion of Saints
Eph 1:22-23-we are all part of the body of Christ, and don’t stop being apart of it when we die.
Eph 5:21-32- ‘’ ‘’
Col 1:18, 24-" "
1 Cor 12:12-27- if 1 suffers, all suffer, if 1 honored, all rejoice
Rom 12:5- we are 1 body in Christ, indiv. parts of one another
Eph 4:4- one body, one Spirit, called to one hope
Col 3:15- you were called in one body
Rom 8:35-39- death cannot separate us from Christ
Rom 12:10- love one another with mutual affection
1 Thess 5:11- encourage, build up one another
Gal 6:2- bear one another’s burdens (i.e supplications, and prayers for those in Purgatory)
Gal 6:10- let us do good to all, esp. those in the family of faith.

Protestants will use this verse (Dt 18:10-11) to say prayers to dead saints is necromancy.
In rebuttal:

Mk 12:26-27 - he is God of the living, not the dead.
Mk 9:4 - Jesus seen conversing with Elijah and Moses
Lk 23:43 - this day you will be with me in paradise
Rev 6:9-11 - martyrs under altar want earthly vindication
Heb 12:1 - we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
Lk 16:19-30 - departed rich man intercedes for his brothers
Rev 20:4 - saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
Wis 3:1-6 - the souls of the just are in the hand of God
 
ahs said:
What Protestant would tell a fellow Christian “no” when asked to pray for someone? The more likely response would be “certainly…and please pray for me to”. Jesus instructed us to pray for one another. How fitting is it, then, that instead of solely asking our fellow “brothers” here on earth to pray for us, that we should ask those who are with God in Heaven to pray for us?

Something just as important I’d like to point out: We also need to pray FOR the dead…those who may be in torment as they are “cleansed as by fire” or are being “purged of the stain of sin” prior to be accepted into God’s Kingdom.
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The problem is that Protestants do not subscribe to the belief of the Communion of Saints. As my grandmother puts it, “Dead people are dead.”

🤷
 
YoungTradCath said:
The problem is that Protestants do not subscribe to the belief of the Communion of Saints. As my grandmother puts it, “Dead people are dead.”

🤷
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They don’t recognize that an immortal soul lives on? It’s something that just has to be explained to them in terms they understand. The dead, at least some of them…the ones we refer to as “Saints” go to Heaven and have eternal life. (Others, sadly, go to eternal damnation. ) I’ve never met a Protestant that rejects this…that Heaven and Hell are eternal and that our souls are eternal. And if they are in eternal bliss with our Lord, how can we say they cannot pray for us…that the dead are simply dead? 😉

And as Nate13 points out…the very source that they hold to be the “final authority” on all matters religious supports this…you just have to know how to present it to them.
 
The problem is they see people who die in Christ as ‘dead’. Christ didn’t come to bring death and more abundantly… .he came to bring life more abundantly. We don’t believe they are dead… so it’s not talking to the dead… but to people who are living more fully in the presence of God. Tell them to go read John 10, and then ask them if they believe those whose bodies have died, have also perished with them?
 
Nate13 said:
Bible verses on this topic:

Communion of Saints
Eph 1:22-23-we are all part of the body of Christ, and don’t stop being apart of it when we die.
Eph 5:21-32- ‘’ ‘’
Col 1:18, 24-" "
1 Cor 12:12-27- if 1 suffers, all suffer, if 1 honored, all rejoice
Rom 12:5- we are 1 body in Christ, indiv. parts of one another
Eph 4:4- one body, one Spirit, called to one hope
Col 3:15- you were called in one body
Rom 8:35-39- death cannot separate us from Christ
Rom 12:10- love one another with mutual affection
1 Thess 5:11- encourage, build up one another
Gal 6:2- bear one another’s burdens (i.e supplications, and prayers for those in Purgatory)
Gal 6:10- let us do good to all, esp. those in the family of faith.

Protestants will use this verse (Dt 18:10-11) to say prayers to dead saints is necromancy.
In rebuttal:

Mk 12:26-27 - he is God of the living, not the dead.
Mk 9:4 - Jesus seen conversing with Elijah and Moses
Lk 23:43 - this day you will be with me in paradise
Rev 6:9-11 - martyrs under altar want earthly vindication
Heb 12:1 - we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
Lk 16:19-30 - departed rich man intercedes for his brothers
Rev 20:4 - saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
Wis 3:1-6 - the souls of the just are in the hand of God
Click to expand...
Those verses are exactly what the Protestants quote when I talk to them. Ha
 
ahs said:
What Protestant would tell a fellow Christian “no” when asked to pray for someone? The more likely response would be “certainly…and please pray for me to”. Jesus instructed us to pray for one another. How fitting is it, then, that instead of solely asking our fellow “brothers” here on earth to pray for us, that we should ask those who are with God in Heaven to pray for us?

Something just as important I’d like to point out: We also need to pray FOR the dead…those who may be in torment as they are “cleansed as by fire” or are being “purged of the stain of sin” prior to be accepted into God’s Kingdom.
Click to expand...
That’s what I tell them. But they say those who die are dead until the Christ come again.
 
It’s best not to talk to protestants. Tell them to go ask a priest.
 
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will never die at all. Do you
believe this?” Now who said this?
 
I think we can ask your dead relatives and friends who were faithful and God fearing to inquire the spirit of the saints to guide us safely into the proper ways with the LORD. In following the best possible path to God Almighty through Jesus, our names may be entered into the book of life and we would secure a place in heaven forever(John’s Book of Revelation). 👍
 
So, to answer your question, yes it is alright to ask the dead to pray for us, just as it is alright to ask living people to pray for us. Besides, all of the well-know saints, and even our most highly venerated saint, the Blessed Virgin Mary, have all passed from the Earth, and we fervently pray to them. Why not ask others?

I hope this helps out. God bless.

Explain how you think asking the saints to pray for us is the same as praying to them. Be careful with that. Rom 1:25.
 
2co105 said:
Explain how you think asking the saints to pray for us is the same as praying to them.
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If you ask a person to pray for you, or to pass the salt at the dinner table, or anything else, you’re praying to that person. That’s the meaning of the word: to request. In fact, your post above was a prayer (i.e. request) to readers of this thread.
 
“A perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory, and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.”
-Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 1475).
 
aspirant said:
If you ask a person to pray for you, or to pass the salt at the dinner table, or anything else, you’re praying to that person. That’s the meaning of the word: to request. In fact, your post above was a prayer (i.e. request) to readers of this thread.
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The greek word you are referring to is erōtaō:
  1. to question
  2. to ask
    a) to request, entreat, beg, beseech
Joh 4:31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
Luk 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

The greek word that I am referring to is proseuchē:
  1. prayer addressed to God
  2. a place set apart or suited for the offering of prayer
Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

It is proseuchē that is worship, not erōtaō. In your comment, I believe you are implying that they are both one and the same.
 
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