Must I pray to Mary and the saints to receive Communion?

[ItsNoGood]

Do I have to be willing to pray to Mary or the other saints in order to receive Communion? My heart and mind cannot reconcile the idea of communicating to anyone beyond this physical world other than with God himself, and therefore I cannot pray to them in good conscience. I do not have any problems with others doing it, and certainly understand wholeheartedly why they do. It’s just a personal conviction regarding myself, and not regarding others.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

No individual is forced to pray to the Blessed Virgin or the saints. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin and the saints is part of the ordinary worship of the Church, and Catholics are called to honor their spiritual Mother and God’s friends. But the Church does not regulate individual private prayer. A Catholic should seek to overcome personal hang-ups that block his participation in the communion of saints, but he is not forbidden to receive Communion until he has done so.

I should mention though that your Profile currently indicates you consider yourself to be a “Catholic/Lutheran.” Catholics cannot be members of another church or ecclesial communion. If you do not consider yourself solely to be a Catholic, in union with the Holy See, then on that basis you should not be presenting yourself for Catholic Communion, since for Catholics the sacrament of Communion signifies full unity with the Church.

Recommended reading:

Mary and the Saints
Mary, Mother of the Son by Mark P. Shea