Praying to saints?

[CRW]

before you read my question, please bear in mind that i was raised a protestant and i am NOT here to attack your faith. i am merely trying to understand it. i know that you pray to the saints/mary because it’s supposed to help get your prayer answered. but i don’t understand why you don’t just pray to God/Jesus directly all the time. does God really need a go-between? can’t He hear our prayers on his own? another thing that bothers me about it is that when praying to the saints, you’re talking to dead people. i’m reminded of the story of king saul who went to the witch so she could conjer up the spirit of the prophet samuel so that he could seek samuel’s council. this as we all know is strictly forbidden. i’m not saying that praying to saints is a form of witchcraft, but it kinda reminds me of it. is there any place in the bible including the 7 (i believe) books canonized by the rcc that support/ or instruct christians to pray to saints?

There is no time frame for Jesus. He knows if we are going to offer our prayers today, tomorrow, or next week. We live in a time frame, not God. I rather the Communion of Saints, especially the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary request of her son to hear my prayers. Remember (Luke) when Jesus was 12, lost for three days.After they located Jesus, He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. Personally I would do anything for my Mother and I think it is the same with Jesus. Those in heaven are not dead; they live with the Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Your body is dead until the second coming but the soul is eternal.

 

[Andruschak]

so how exactly do you pray to a saint?can someone give me an example prayer?

There are lots of good books on Catholic Prayers…I am at work now, but when I get home I’ll post my own favorites.

 

[Andruschak]

so how exactly do you pray to a saint?can someone give me an example prayer?

Loads of prayers at this site. Happy searching

circleofprayer.com/

 

[Victorious]

No, God does not need go-betweens. However, He invites go-betweens. That is to say, He invites humans to join with Him in the work of Salvation. That is the critical part of this whole question.

A good Boss knows how to delegate!

 

[Quaere_Verum]

To understand you must grasp the following concepts:

1. Christians are called to love each other and pray for each other. I’m sure you’ll agree with that.
2. Christians are not just those on earth but include the saints in heaven.
3. We are not separated by death.
4. If we truly believe that Christ’s death and resurrection gives us the opportunity for eternal life then we have to admit that they are more alive and closer to Christ than those still struggling on earth ever will be.

 

[SORROWS]

There are absolutely TONS of prayers and Litanies that the Church provides for this - did you say that you are a convert? It is really aweful that your church/priest has not provided you with any or encouraged you to do this.

Here is an example of a Novena to St. Joseph (pray this for nine consecutive days)

Glorious St. Joseph, foster-father, and protector of Jesus Christ! To you I raise my heart and my hands to implore your powerful intercession. Please obtain for me from the kind Heart of Jesus the help and the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I ask particularly for the grace of a happy death and the special favor I now implore (name it).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel animated with confidence that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

V. O glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His name,

R. Hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.

Amen

That is a beautiful prayer ! I have a special love for St. Joseph. Here is one to Our Blessed Mother Mary:

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP

Mother, crowned, yet sorrowful, in your arms you bear the little King, and show Him to the world as He beholds the instruments of His redeeming death. Mother, ever present help, speak to Him of my intentions.

All Christian hearts are held within your care and so we turn to you in trust, to find gentle help, more powerful than human might and faithful beyond all our imaginings. Pray for us, Mother of Perpetual Help.
Amen.

 

[Steadfast_love]

so how exactly do you pray to a saint?can someone give me an example prayer?

Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith so that we may hold fast to that which we professed when we were Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
That we may have Thee for our Father, and abide in Thy son and in the fellowship of the Holy

That one is by my patron Saint, St. Hilary of Potiers I pray it every day. It’s not prayed TO him exactly, but it’s a prayer that he prayed and taught to his students – so by praying it I feel that I am joining with him in prayer.

I personaly am transitioning from Presbyterianism to Catholicism so I’m still getting used to Catholic prayer. As a Presbyterian I only prayed to the Father through Christ, but today I prayed to all sorts of things, not just saints. I prayed to the the sun, the moon and the stars. I prayed to angels. I prayed to fire and rain… I even prayed to sea monsters! (Sound frightening? Well… I’m only teasing you by being vague. The real story is that that I pray through the Psalms every month and Psalm 148 is due on the 30th.)

Here’s the sea monster verse:

Psalm 148:7-8 RSV-CE
Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fufilling his command!

By the way, all Catholic prayer is addressed through Jesus. Even if the words “through Christ our Lord” don’t occur, they are present implicitly. For example, the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray (Our Father, who art in heaven…) doesn’t end in " we pray this in Jesus’s name" but it’s still prayed through him implicitly. That’s why it’s ok to pray to sea monsters to praise the LORD.

 

[Quaere_Verum]

One more brief comment guardian1. If asking the saints in heaven for intercessory prayer conflicts with biblical teachings then, logically, we have to say that asking those on earth for intercessory prayer also conflicts with biblical teachings. And I know that the majority of Christians believe it is biblical to intercede for one another.

 

[guardian1]

cookies for everybody! thanks for your help. i understand now and i’m gonna download some prayers

 

[Steadfast_love]

Do yourself a favor – download the Rosary first. You won’t be sorry!

 

[valient_Lucy]

before you read my question, please bear in mind that i was raised a protestant and i am NOT here to attack your faith. i am merely trying to understand it. i know that you pray to the saints/mary because it’s supposed to help get your prayer answered. but i don’t understand why you don’t just pray to God/Jesus directly all the time. does God really need a go-between? can’t He hear our prayers on his own? another thing that bothers me about it is that when praying to the saints, you’re talking to dead people. i’m reminded of the story of king saul who went to the witch so she could conjer up the spirit of the prophet samuel so that he could seek samuel’s council. this as we all know is strictly forbidden. i’m not saying that praying to saints is a form of witchcraft, but it kinda reminds me of it. is there any place in the bible including the 7 (i believe) books canonized by the rcc that support/ or instruct christians to pray to saints?

Not a stupid question at all. Praying to saints and Mary is one thing that troubles many Protestants, and troubled me when I was a Protestant.
I just want to share some thoughts and my perspectives on your question.
1 We can, and do pray to God/Jesus directly. When Catholics pray to saints, they are really asking that the saint will pray for them. As another poster pointed out, I’m sure you’re very familiar with group prayer as a Protestant. Well, a Catholic believes that, even when he is physically alone, he never has to pray by himself! He can ask all of the saints in heaven to join him in his prayers. For example, in my own life, when I am worried or thinking about something, I do pray to Jesus directly, and state my petitions. Then, I ask the saints to pray for me and my petition. I ask Mary, my spiritual mother, to pray for me, just as I ask my earthly mother to pray for me. We don’t need the intersession of the saints. They are a tremendous gift from God.
2 Catholics believe that the saints are alive; far more alive then we are! Jesus promised us that people who believe in Him will live forever, even though they die. The saints in heaven are not ghosts; they are enjoying the eternal presence of God in a way we cannot fully understand here. As Jesus said to the Sadducees, “God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living!”

 

[guardian1]

Do yourself a favor – download the Rosary first. You won’t be sorry!

already did that, and i have a rosary. i just don’t pray as much as i should. perhaps you guys (and the saints) could pray for me to pray more