Praying to Saints

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brigid12

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Ever since my conversion into the Church I’ve prayed to numerous Saints for whatever was my petition. Thing is I’ve prayed to any Saint(s) I feel might help and don’t know who the Saint is that helped with my petition. Is the “scatter” approach the most efficacious or should someone just pick one Saint (and no more) for which to pray?
 
In the end it’s God that answers the prayers so it may not matter.

I personally choose my Patron Saint for most things because I feel unfamiliar praying to saints I don’t know too well. I’ve had prayers answered from a few saints though but they were really related to the saint - such as St Lucy answered my prayer for an eye-related problem since she is the patron of that.

Another health problem I’ve prayed to so many saints over the years but no answer yet 😦 it’s up to God in the end.
 
You’ve been praying to God. The Saints pray along with you.
If you asked more than one, then they all you asked prayed with you and for you.
Certain devotions and novenas to particular saints are very effective… because we are greatly focused in prayer through those devotions.
Peace.
 
I do realize that it is due to God’s Will that the Saint’s intercessions have their use. I’m merely wondering if praying to many Saints is a way to “water-down” their intercession. Do you think that you would rather pray thru one Saint or thru many?
 
Its not like there are Saints up in heaven looking down around a cloud yelling “You got the wrong number!!”
 
brigid12 said:
Ever since my conversion into the Church I’ve prayed to numerous Saints for whatever was my petition. Thing is I’ve prayed to any Saint(s) I feel might help and don’t know who the Saint is that helped with my petition. Is the “scatter” approach the most efficacious or should someone just pick one Saint (and no more) for which to pray?
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I guess that depends on what you mean by efficacious.

The intercession of the Saints is no more a spiritual vending machine than is our own prayer to God. We ask in ignorance; God answers in love and wisdom.

The Church gives us the Saints not only for the power of their intercession, but also (perhaps even moreso) for the power of their lives’ witness! As time goes by, I find that knowledge of the lives of the Saints becomes more important to me. When my heart is aching from loneliness (I’m a divorced single mom), I remember the witness of St. Rita. When I feel overwhelmed by the needs of my students, I am encouraged by the witness of St. John Bosco. When I am tempted by anything that would separate me from Christ, I turn to the witness of Saints like St Clare, St Francis, St Teresa of Avila. When I feel surrounded by darkness, St Teresa of the Andes gives me her example.

I ask these (and many other!) Saints to pray for me. But as I get older and, for now, life gets harder to bear, it is the lives of the Saints that is most efficacious for me.

So as you get to know the Saints, do ask them to pray for you AND get to know how they lived their love of God.

God bless you!

Gertie
 
Gertabelle said:
I guess that depends on what you mean by efficacious.

The intercession of the Saints is no more a spiritual vending machine than is our own prayer to God. We ask in ignorance; God answers in love and wisdom.

The Church gives us the Saints not only for the power of their intercession, but also (perhaps even moreso) for the power of their lives’ witness! As time goes by, I find that knowledge of the lives of the Saints becomes more important to me. When my heart is aching from loneliness (I’m a divorced single mom), I remember the witness of St. Rita. When I feel overwhelmed by the needs of my students, I am encouraged by the witness of St. John Bosco. When I am tempted by anything that would separate me from Christ, I turn to the witness of Saints like St Clare, St Francis, St Teresa of Avila. When I feel surrounded by darkness, St Teresa of the Andes gives me her example.

I ask these (and many other!) Saints to pray for me. But as I get older and, for now, life gets harder to bear, it is the lives of the Saints that is most efficacious for me.

So as you get to know the Saints, do ask them to pray for you AND get to know how they lived their love of God.

God bless you!

Gertie
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A beautiful and wise response, Gertie! Thankyou!! I agree with you.

I pray a lot to the saints. They don’t necessarily get me what I want, but I know they’re praying for me and will help me in receiving the Graces that are going to be most beneficial to my soul from the perspective of eternity. I love so many of them: St. Catherine of Siena, the Little Flower, St. Marianna of Jesus aka The Lily of Quito, St Rose of Lima, St. Gemma…(I better stop there.)

Sometimes, I think a saint picks me more than I pick that saint.
 
Pax Christi!

St. Christina the Astonishing, pray for us!

By the way, her feast day, July 24th, is coming up.

God bless.
 
Gertabelle said:
I guess that depends on what you mean by efficacious.

The intercession of the Saints is no more a spiritual vending machine than is our own prayer to God. We ask in ignorance; God answers in love and wisdom.

The Church gives us the Saints not only for the power of their intercession, but also (perhaps even moreso) for the power of their lives’ witness! As time goes by, I find that knowledge of the lives of the Saints becomes more important to me. When my heart is aching from loneliness (I’m a divorced single mom), I remember the witness of St. Rita. When I feel overwhelmed by the needs of my students, I am encouraged by the witness of St. John Bosco. When I am tempted by anything that would separate me from Christ, I turn to the witness of Saints like St Clare, St Francis, St Teresa of Avila. When I feel surrounded by darkness, St Teresa of the Andes gives me her example.

I ask these (and many other!) Saints to pray for me. But as I get older and, for now, life gets harder to bear, it is the lives of the Saints that is most efficacious for me.

So as you get to know the Saints, do ask them to pray for you AND get to know how they lived their love of God.

God bless you!

Gertie
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My heart goes out for you in your loneliness and your faith. My sad little prayers are for you today, of such small value asthey are, Our Lady enlarges through her intercession.
All pray goes to the Father. All mercy He returns.
 
Petaro said:
My heart goes out for you in your loneliness and your faith. My sad little prayers are for you today, of such small value asthey are, Our Lady enlarges through her intercession.
All pray goes to the Father. All mercy He returns.
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My goodness, what a beautiful gift! Thank you!

You’ve reminded me of how important it is for all of us on the forums to constantly keep each other in prayer.It’s fitting for this thread, as God calls each of us to sainthood, and by that I mean holiness, to be part of the communion of saints in heaven. In thanksgiving for your gift, I will keep you in my prayers today as well 👍

God bless you!

Gertie
 
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