Praying to Saints

[Nick_Russell]

I have a similar concern here as well and no one is addressing the other part of the question. I fully understand asking the saints to Pray for US…What I do not understand is praying TO them. For instance. the Prayer TO St Michael the Archangel or the Prayer TO Saint Joseph. so First, Do the saints in heaven have the power to influence us during prayer like Jesus does and 2 Why not ask Jesus to defend us in battle rather than St Michael?

 

[frangiuliano115]

I have a similar concern here as well and no one is addressing the other part of the question. I fully understand asking the saints to Pray for US…What I do not understand is praying TO them. For instance. the Prayer TO St Michael the Archangel or the Prayer TO Saint Joseph. so First, Do the saints in heaven have the power to influence us during prayer like Jesus does and 2 Why not ask Jesus to defend us in battle rather than St Michael?

I’m with you Nick Russell.

Our learned posters here know that we’re supposed to be asking for saints’ intercession and we’re not supposed to be praying TO them. The large majority of catholics do not know this and pray TO saints.

In the confessional room in my parish there are a few statues of saints. Underneath is a sign which reads: Before praying to the saints, have you considered praying to Jesus?

I think the church is trying to get away from this and maybe it should have been understood from the beginning so proper teaching coudl have made us all know the same concept re “praying to saints.”

Fran

 

[PRmerger]

Help me out here, Tantum ergo,

Okay. Dead people can speak to other dead people. But what does that have to do with our speaking to them?

Are you saying that the saints in heaven aren’t aware of what’s going on here on earth?

 

[PRmerger]

I have a similar concern here as well and no one is addressing the other part of the question. I fully understand asking the saints to Pray for US…What I do not understand is praying TO them. For instance. the Prayer TO St Michael the Archangel or the Prayer TO Saint Joseph. so First, Do the saints in heaven have the power to influence us during prayer like Jesus does and 2 Why not ask Jesus to defend us in battle rather than St Michael?

Because the prayer is TO St. Michael.

When I ask you to pray for me, I am speaking TO you.

 

[frangiuliano115]

Are you saying that the saints in heaven aren’t aware of what’s going on here on earth?

Hello PRmerger,

I was asking Tantum Ergo how he equated Luke 16 with our speaking to saints. I’d never heard this before. Maybe he merely meant that since the two sides in Luke could speak to each other, they must be aware of us too.

It just would have been interesting to know how he thought of it.

Fran

 

[PRmerger]

Hello PRmerger,

I was asking Tantum Ergo how he equated Luke 16 with our speaking to saints. I’d never heard this before. Maybe he merely meant that since the two sides in Luke could speak to each other, they must be aware of us too.

It just would have been interesting to know how he thought of it.

Fran

Good morning, Fran.

Fair enough.

Just as long as you understand that the saints in heaven are aware of what’s going on down here.