Is praying to saints in the bible?

  • Thread starter Thread starter q54332
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Q

q54332

Guest
I am 18 years old and have recently started to become incredibly interested in Christianity, I was raised a Catholic and still identify as one but I have a lot of questions that people around me can’t answer or give answers I’m not fully understanding of as they go too in-depth. I get into a lot of debates on the internet about Catholicism and defending it from things I know to be false but I do have the question which is, was praying to the saints something God ever says you can and should do? Does it ever say that saints can hear you? Does it say anywhere that you are allowed to pray to other people besides God? Thanks, if your answer can be simple as I am a beginner at this that would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
The bible says some prayers of some are stronger then others.
The bible says we should pray for each other
and The bible says Saints and those in heaven do pray for us.

exact scripture I have to look up, but I’m sure someone will post them soon.

As too weather or not we should pray to them is the million dollar question.
 
Last edited:
Yes it is.
‘the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints’ - Rev. 5:8
 
Dan_Defender said:
Yes it is.
‘the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints’ - Rev. 5:8
Click to expand...
And to be clear, the word “saints” here refers to the faithful on earth. This is the original Biblical use if the word. The twenty four elders are clearly not angels but those saints who have gone ahead. This clearly shows saints in heaven interceding for saints i.e. the faithful on earth.
 
Last edited:
That is the million dollar question lol, there wouldn’t be anything wrong if I didn’t pray to them until I got my answer right? I’d rather be safe then sorry
 
Do you have any verses that you would recommend that prove this?
 
q54332 said:
That is the million dollar question lol, there wouldn’t be anything wrong if I didn’t pray to them until I got my answer right? I’d rather be safe then sorry
Click to expand...
I was told I didn’t have to pray to saints in my RCIA class… I like to be on the safe side too, so I don’t.
 
For me a personal grace to believe is in the events of the Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah both came to talk with and comfort Jesus when He was on the Mount. This was witness by Peter, James and John who asked if they could make shelter for the visitors. More than any other event in Scripture or Tradition, the Transfiguration leads me to believe in the Communion of Saints living and dead and their closeness and assistance for us.

Matthew 17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I[a] will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved;[c] with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
 
You’re not required to, per se, in your personal devotions…but there are two scenarios where you are/would be required to invoke the saints:
  1. Corporately, when participating in the Church’s liturgy…the Church, in the prayers of the Mass, invokes the intercession of the saints
  2. As a penance, if assigned a prayer to Our Lady or the saints by the priest
 
Usually keep my head down and pray, “Jesus Chris, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” or “Jesus, Father in heaven, listen to prayers of your children” or I just stay quiet or remain seated.

there I fixed it. 🙂
 
Last edited:
q54332 said:
Does it say anywhere that you are allowed to pray to other people besides God?
Click to expand...
The angels are prayerfully addressed in at least two Psalms:
Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! (Psalm 103:20 RSV-CE)

Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host! (Psalm 148:2 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
Similarly, the angels and the spirits and souls of the just are prayerfully addressed in deuterocanonical verses of Daniel in Catholic Bibles:
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever. (Daniel 3:58 NABRE)

Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever. (Daniel 3:86 NABRE)
Click to expand...
In Sirach, at least two of Israel’s long-departed heroes are sometimes addressed directly, namely, Solomon (Sirach 47:14-21) and Elijah (Sirach 48:4-11). Solomon definitely died; Elijah was taken up alive into the sky.

The righteous dead pray for the living. As another poster has mentioned, 2 Maccabees 15:11-15 says that dead Onias and dead Jeremiah pray much for the Jewish people and their holy city.

The righteous dead also perform miracles. 1 Samuel 28:16-19 says that dead Samuel prophesied the doom of Saul and his sons and 2 Kings 13:21 says that a dead man revived when his corpse touched the bones of dead Elisha. Probably with these events in mind, Sirach says of Samuel:
Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied
and revealed to the king his death,
and lifted up his voice out of the earth in prophecy,
to blot out the wickedness of the people. (Sirach 46:20)
Click to expand...
And, of Elisha:
Nothing was too hard for him,
and when he was dead his body prophesied.
As in his life he did wonders,
so in death his deeds were marvelous. (Sirach 48:13-14)
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
annad347 said:
Usually keep my head down and pray, “Jesus son of God pray for me a sinner” or “Jesus Father in heaven, listen to prayers of your children” or I just stay quiet or remain seated.
Click to expand...
“Pray for me/us” is not an invocation for Jesus. Jesus is God so it is “have mercy on us/me”.

Second. Jesus is not the Father.
 
I’m trying to recall, somewhere in the Old Testament there’s mention of someone- either a king, prophet or judge- who acts as an intercessor for Israel after they were said to have died. Would anyone happen to remember who this was?

In any case, this is an example of a Saint (even if not canonized by the Church, since we tend not to canonize OT figures) being very “active” after death, which serves as a basis for praying to the saints (because how could/why would we pray to them if they were very passive?).
 
Last edited:
annad347 said:
40.png
porthos11:
Jesus son of God pray for me a sinner
Click to expand...
my writing sucks but you know what I meant, cause you recognized the prayer.

there I fixed it…
porthos11 said:
Second. Jesus is not the Father.
Click to expand...
FYI, Jesus is the Father. He is The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit… the 3 are One.

but I edited my post.
Click to expand...
No Jesus is not the Father. He is the Son.

The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God.

But the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Father.

This is the Athanasian Creed and is the orthodox profession. We must avoid the heresy of Modalism.
 
okay… bottom line, I still don’t pray to saints, which is what this thread is about.
 
Last edited:
porthos11 said:
And if a priest imposes a Hail Mary for a penance?
Click to expand...
Not that my penances are any of your business… but my priest wouldn’t cause he knows I don’t pray to saints or Mary, so he’d give me a different type of penance…
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top