Question about the saints

[Bob_Crowley]

I lifted this off another web site. It gives some explanations of why we pray to sants, who then forward our requests to God.

Multiple verses and concepts present in the Bible have been used to justify prayer to the saints. The behavior of the prophets and other important people in the bible are also used, the argument being that we should follow their example. The major Biblical points of support are:

* Tobit 12:12– Angel Raphael says, "I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sara prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord..."
* Ephesians 6:18 – With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with a perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.
* Mark 12:25-27 – "When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angles in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, "I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob?' he is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled."
* Multiple sources – it is clearly stated multiple times that we are all members of the one body of Christ. In the "Letters to the Churches," there are requests for all to pray for one another. This includes those saints who are living with Christ in Heaven.
* Intercession examples – in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, there are examples of angels and dead prophets coming to intercede for humans on God's behalf. Intercession, especially through prayer, is a common theme throughout the Bible.

Church Support for Prayer to the Saints

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that prayer directed at the saints in Heaven is an acceptable practice. The basis for this is the Biblical support states above. The exact justification given in the Catechism: “Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole church more firmly in holiness…[T]hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus…So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.”

Read more at Suite101: Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints?: Catholic Apologetics and an Explanation of Saints catholic-saints.suite101.com/article.cfm/why_do_catholics_pray_to_saints#ixzz0qMJWIp37

Finally there is also the parable of the wicked and lazy servant who hid his talents in the ground. His talents were taken off him and given to those who had borne fruit. So they not only received the extra gifts by virtue of God’s grace, but they also received the talents of the one who didn’t use them.

When we die we are judged, and rewarded oppropriately. Those who have been particularly fatihful receive much greater talents and abilities. Amongst those would be a rank in heaven. And amongst their gifts would be the ability to intercede on our behalf, in just the same way we might ask our friends to pray for us. Except that these are glorified Christians who have already demonstrated their faith, and have been given abilities we can only dream about.

Otherwise what’s the point of all this Christian stuggling? Yet if we believe the Protestant side, the faithful just sit on their backsides for eternity after death.