Necessary to ask Mary and Saints for intercession?

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divinefaith

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I know in Catholicism we are told that we may ask Mary and Saints to intercede for us…in fact it is often encouraged to pray the rosary or novena.

However, I have a couple of questions regarding this issue:
  • Do we have to pray through the intercession of Mary/Saints or can we only have sole devotion to God (only praying to Him)?
  • Are petition prayers to God through the intercession of Mary/Saints more effective?
Thank you.
 
Just like the Children of Israel in the
desert wanderings for Forty long yrs.
they had the Pillar of Cloud by day
and Pillar of Fire by night, to reassure
them of God’s Presence w/ them, so,
too, in our Desert wanderings in Life, the
company of Mary and the Saints are
OUR Cloud of Witnesses(Heb. 11-12)
They encourage us, reassures us of God’s
Presence w/ us, intercedes for us and
has given us many teachings to help us
on our spiritual journey!!
 
divinefaith said:
However, I have a couple of questions regarding this issue:
  • Do we have to pray through the intercession of Mary/Saints or can we only have sole devotion to God (only praying to Him)?
  • Are petition prayers to God through the intercession of Mary/Saints more effective?
Thank you.
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Just to share what I’ve been told; no, one doesn’t have to ask for intercession if one doesn’t want to; however, one is supposed to fully take part in Mass, which does contain some calls for intercession to Saints as a part of the Mass itself.

The idea behind the intercession of Saints is that the “prayer of a righteous man avails much” and that the Saints are right there with God in Heaven in relationship with Him. So, for example, Mary didn’t stop being Jesus’ Mother simply because she is in Heaven, she remains His Mother, hence does have a closeness to Her Son that we don’t have. From a Catholic POV, she is also very much interested in the church here on earth and wants the best for all of us, hence, powerful love and intercession.

Asking about this as an outsider It’s been pointed out to me that we don’t have to ask others here on earth to pray for us, but most of us do and find comfort in that. Paul also tells us to pray for one another.
 
No, but it would be foolhardy not to.
That’s like saying “I want a great and easy retirement, but I don’t think I’ll save any money or prepare myself in any way.” 🤷

These people are in heaven already.
Why wouldn’t anyone ask them to pray for us?

I know for myself, I can always use a spiritual friend, like my guardian angel and Our Lady and various wonderful Saints like Padre Pio interceding for me.

Most of us can readily admit we need help from others here on earth .
Why wouldn’t the “others” in heaven matter?

peace.
 
You don’t have to ask for Mary and the Saints’ intercession, but you are making it a lot harder on yourself by not availing yourself to their experience while on earth and their closeness to God in heaven now. The Church gives us all the resources we need to “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect”, and one of these resources is the wonderful communion of saints.
 
divinefaith said:
I know in Catholicism we are told that we may ask Mary and Saints to intercede for us…in fact it is often encouraged to pray the rosary or novena.

However, I have a couple of questions regarding this issue:
  • Do we have to pray through the intercession of Mary/Saints or can we only have sole devotion to God (only praying to Him)?
  • Are petition prayers to God through the intercession of Mary/Saints more effective?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Yes one can pray to God only and never ask even a fellow Christian on earth or in heaven to pray for them. Frankly I want everyone to pray for me the more the better. Do you ever pray for anyone or only for yourself?
 
Community with our Blessed Mother and the saints? They are family! God is glorified when we ask for the intercession of His Blessed Mother, whom he gave to us at the foot of the cross, and endowed with so many gifts for our sake.

The saints are our brothers and sisters in the Lord…I can’t see myself ignoring them. They pray for me and my needs when I ask them to.
 
Necessary for what? I understand devotion to the Saints as finding God’s strength through them. And their prayers increase God’s mercy. Like all matters of faith, it is not magic. We can profit by being encouraged from what God did through faithful men. It’s what we do when we study the lives of the characters in the Scriptures. We also can profit from the prayers of the faithful.

Is it necessary for salvation? Directly? No. Indirectly? Possibly. It may mean the difference in overcoming something fatal to our faith. Consider Jesus in the desert.

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.*And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

Did Jesus need the angels “descending and ascending” to minister to Him? Are the angels greater than He? Or are they more holy than He? Of course not, but even they minister to Him. Because He was in lowly flesh. So what if we fall into the weakness of flesh, how much more to we need the intercession of the Spirit? The faithful are able to intercede for one another.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers,intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men
 
I would say, consult the great saints on this. Ask st. Louis de Montfort, Mother Teresa, St. Francis, St. Bonaventure etc etc They will all tell you that devotion to Mary is the surest and savest way to heaven.
 
moonlight87 said:
I would say, consult the great saints on this. Ask st. Louis de Montfort, Mother Teresa, St. Francis, St. Bonaventure etc etc They will all tell you that devotion to Mary is the surest and savest way to heaven.
Click to expand...
can you please explain what this means? In your words and these Saints?
 
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