What are the spiritual benefits of praying to the saints and Mary?

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pablope said:
You may like this article…calledtocommunion.com/2014/02/do-the-saints-pray-for-us-a-response-to-perry-sukstorf-and-marcia-fleischman/

*This biblical picture of the Church explains why the earliest Christians found no difficulty asking for the prayers of the saints. This wasn’t a distraction from Christ. It was proof that the faithful on earth and the faithful in Heaven are still joined through Christ in holy friendship. Nor was devotion to the saints something that medieval Catholics made up. Even Protestant historians like Joachim Jeremias and secular historians like Peter Brown recognize that the practice is of Jewish origins. It reflects a thoroughly Hebraic, biblical, and communal picture of salvation. (Passages like 2 Kings 13:20-21 show how old these attitudes are.)

Peter Brown also notes that pagans in Rome were perplexed by Christian devotion to the saints and their relics. Early Christians worshipped in cemeteries, catacombs, and among the dead. This was something pagans did not do. But the pagans failed to grasp why Christians did this. The earliest Christians believed in resurrection: the dead in Christ will rise again. Devotion to the saints and their relics witnessed to this faith. For Catholic Christians, death does not have the last word.

Again, devotion to the saints is not something that appeared in the middle ages. It’s been part of Christianity from the beginning. Nor is it simply a Roman Catholic practice. Wherever you look in the ancient Christian world – Latin, Greek, Syriac, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Malabar (Indian), Assyrian (Persian), Catholic or Orthodox – we find devotion to the saints. Consistent opposition to tto the practice arose only in the Protestant Reformation – some 1500 years after the resurrection of Christ.
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Hi Pablope,
Thanks for the link to the article from ‘Called to Communion’. I just finished reading it. Very informative. I especially liked the comments and questions that followed from David Anders.

On a personal note, I want to thank you for being there for me over the past several months on my CAF threads that I started. It seems like whenever I run into an obstacle or stumbling block to Catholicism, you’re there with a helpful thread or comment that helps me overcome it and move forward. I appreciate you and your charitable nature very much, my brother in Christ.
 
Tommy999 said:
Hi Boomerang,
I was going through previous posts and somehow missed this the first time around. I apologize for that. Do you have any recommended readings or links to reading up on the lives of the saints? I must say that apart from St Francis and a few others, I am not familiar with very many saints outside of the original apostles.
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Here are a few to whet your whistle:

FATHER DAMIEN: He won recognition for his ministry in the Kingdom of Hawaii to people with leprosy, who had been placed under a government-sanctioned medical quarantine on the island of Molokaʻi. After sixteen years caring for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those in the leper colony, he eventually contracted and died of the disease, resulting in his characterization as a “martyr of charity”.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien

ST. ISAAC JOGUES, S.J.: was a Jesuit priest, missionary and martyr who traveled and worked among the native populations in North America. He was ritually tortured and lost two fingers on his right hand. Jogues survived this event and lived as a slave among the Mohawk for some time, during which he tried to teach his captors about Christianity. He was eventually killed by them.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Jogues

MARGARET CLITHEROW “THE PEARL OF YORK” (England): She was arrested for the crime of hiding Catholic priests in her home. She was executed by being crushed to death, on Good Friday 1586. She was stripped and had a handkerchief tied across her face then laid out upon a sharp rock the size of a man’s fist, the door from her own house was put on top of her and slowly loaded with an immense weight of rocks and stones. Her death occurred within fifteen minutes, but her body was left for six hours before the weight was removed. After her death her hand was removed, and this relic is now housed in the chapel of the Bar Convent, York.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Clitherow

BROTHER ANDRE (St. André of Montreal), a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal, is credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings. His funeral (1937) was attended by over one million people.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Bessette

ST THERESE OF LISIEUX: Thérèse has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Roman Catholics and for others because of the “simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life.” Together with St. Francis of Assisi, she is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church. Pope Pius X called her “the greatest saint of modern times.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_of_Lisieux

MAXIMILIAN KOLBE: A Polish priest. He volunteered to be starved to death in place of a stranger in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe

Here is an overwhelming site with lots and lots of saints: roman-catholic-saints.com/
 
boomerang said:
Here are a few to whet your whistle:

FATHER DAMIEN: He won recognition for his ministry in the Kingdom of Hawaii to people with leprosy, who had been placed under a government-sanctioned medical quarantine on the island of Molokaʻi. After sixteen years caring for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those in the leper colony, he eventually contracted and died of the disease, resulting in his characterization as a “martyr of charity”.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien

ST. ISAAC JOGUES, S.J.: was a Jesuit priest, missionary and martyr who traveled and worked among the native populations in North America. He was ritually tortured and lost two fingers on his right hand. Jogues survived this event and lived as a slave among the Mohawk for some time, during which he tried to teach his captors about Christianity. He was eventually killed by them.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Jogues

MARGARET CLITHEROW “THE PEARL OF YORK” (England): She was arrested for the crime of hiding Catholic priests in her home. She was executed by being crushed to death, on Good Friday 1586. She was stripped and had a handkerchief tied across her face then laid out upon a sharp rock the size of a man’s fist, the door from her own house was put on top of her and slowly loaded with an immense weight of rocks and stones. Her death occurred within fifteen minutes, but her body was left for six hours before the weight was removed. After her death her hand was removed, and this relic is now housed in the chapel of the Bar Convent, York.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Clitherow

BROTHER ANDRE (St. André of Montreal), a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal, is credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings. His funeral (1937) was attended by over one million people.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Bessette

ST THERESE OF LISIEUX: Thérèse has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Roman Catholics and for others because of the “simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life.” Together with St. Francis of Assisi, she is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church. Pope Pius X called her “the greatest saint of modern times.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_of_Lisieux

MAXIMILIAN KOLBE: A Polish priest. He volunteered to be starved to death in place of a stranger in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe

Here is an overwhelming site with lots and lots of saints: roman-catholic-saints.com/
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Thanks, Boomerang. Interesting reading. Thanks for the links. I just looked at the one for ST. ISAAC JOGUES, S.J. It says he survived and actually was freed and returned to France for a time, only to eventually die when he returned to the same area where he was captured before to bring Christianity to the natives of northern North America. Sounds like he was brave as well as a godly man.
 
My father was a drunk and never had a job so it was hard to think of God as a father. From 18-33 I was addicted to porn and had an extreme anger problem after saying the rosary just one time it was completely 100% gone cured. Mary led me 100% to Jesus
 
Adamski said:
My father was a drunk and never had a job so it was hard to think of God as a father. From 18-33 I was addicted to porn and had an extreme anger problem after saying the rosary just one time it was completely 100% gone cured. Mary led me 100% to Jesus
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👍 :clapping: :dancing:
 
Prayer is offered to a person in two ways: one as though to be granted by himself, another as to be obtained through him. In the first way we pray to God alone, because all our prayers ought to be directed to obtaining grace and glory which God alone gives, according to those words of the Psalm (lxxxiii, 12): ‘The Lord will give grace and glory.’ But in the second way we pray to the holy angels and to men not that God may learn our petition through them, but that by their prayers and merits our prayers may be efficacious. Wherefore it is said in the Apocalypse (viii, 4): ‘And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel’ (Summ. Theol., II-II, Q. lxxxiii, a. 4).
 
ptisme said:
I find this so difficult to be true that I doubt it is.
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I wish I was making it up… My life and I looked at each after Mass in amazement at what we had heard. I’m sorry you don’t believe me, but I assure you it is true.
 
Jon_S said:
Oops that was supposed to be in response to godisgood. He claimed a lot of priests say this which I find incredulous.
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Appreciate the response. I’m in total agreement with you…namely that saying we can’t to directly to God is craziness… I think this is an easy thing to refute as you clearly do. My point was that I have witnessed mord than a few priests teaching this… Wish that I hadn’t, but I have.
 
godisgood77 said:
Appreciate the response. I’m in total agreement with you…namely that saying we can’t to directly to God is craziness… I think this is an easy thing to refute as you clearly do. My point was that I have witnessed mord than a few priests teaching this… Wish that I hadn’t, but I have.
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One priest teaching this would be incredible. Multiple priests teaching this: impossible
 
"At times, I will also ask my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for me, if the request is not too personal or confidential. "

There;s your answer right there. Your brothers an sisters in Christ are not just here on earth, they are also in Heaven, right up to the foot of the Throne of Glory itself. There is a line even in the Apostle’s Creed – which most Protestants accept-- about believing in “the communion of saints.” That’s what that means. Being in God transcends time and space, and every Christian who ever lived is still together with us, and us with them. Asking your best friend to pray for you is no different than asking St Nicholas to pray for you.
And you don’t even have to worry about it being too personal or confidential.
 
Hi Godisgood77,
I am wondering if there is a chance that you possibly misinterpreted something the priest said, since most other Catholics on this thread seemed to think it is highly unlikely that a priest would actually say that you couldn’t pray directly to God the Father.

However, in an earlier post on this thread I recall you saying they also put the same statement in the church bulletin. Do you still happen to have the statement from the bulletin that concerned you? Not everyone keeps old bulletins (I know I don’t, anyway) but maybe you kept that one since it was troublesome to you and you could quote it for us.

I agree that it is bothersome if they really said that. In a case like that, what would be the course of action that you could take as a concerned congregant, if any?

Can you express your concern to a deacon or to another priest?

Your comment got me to wondering how the Catholic Church keeps priests from going off on tangents that are contrary to the faith. I assume the vast majority don’t have problems and they stay well within Church doctrine at all times, but I was just curious what would happen in the case of a rogue priest.

The vision I have in my mind of the Catholic Church is that it is very organized with a hierarchical structure that wouldn’t allow a priest to go off like that.
 
St. Alphonsus De Liguori to Jesus Christ, to Obtain His Holy Love

My crucified Love, my dear Jesus! I believe in Thee, and confess Thee to be the true Son of God and my Saviour. I adore Thee from the abyss of my own nothingness, and I thank Thee for the death Thou didst suffer for me, that I might obtain the life of divine grace. My beloved Redeemer, to Thee I owe all my salvation. Through Thee I have hitherto escaped hell; through Thee have I received the pardon of my sins. But I am so ungrateful, that, instead of loving Thee, I have repeated my offenses against Thee. I deserve to be condemned, so as not to be able to love Thee any more: but no, my Jesus, punish me in any other way, but not in this. If I have not loved Thee in times past, I love Thee now; and I desire nothing but to love Thee with all my heart. But without Thy help I can do nothing. Since Thou dost command me to love Thee, give me also the strength to fulfill this Thy sweet and loving precept. Thou hast promised to grant all that we ask of Thee: You shall ask whatever you will and it shall be done unto you. Confiding, then, in this promise, my dear Jesus, I ask, first of all, pardon of all my sins; and I repent, above all things, because I have offended Thee, O Infinite Goodness! I ask for holy perseverence in Thy grace till my death. But, above all, I ask for the gift of Thy holy love. Ah, my Jesus, my Hope, my Love, my All, inflame me with that love which Thou didst come on earth to enkindle! “Tui amoris me ignem accende.” For this end, make me always live in conformity with Thy holy will. Enlighten me, that I may understand more and more how worthy Thou art of our love, and that I may know the immense love Thou hast borne me, especially in giving Thy life for me. Grant, then, that I may love Thee with all my heart, and may love Thee always, and never cease to beg of Thee the grace to love Thee in this life; that, living always and dying in Thy love, I may come one day to love Thee with all my strength in heaven, never to leave off loving Thee for all eternity.

O Mother of beautiful love, my advocate and refuge, Mary, who art of all creatures the most beautiful, the most loving, and the most beloved of God, and whose only desire it is to see him loved! ah, by the love thou bearest to Jesus Christ, pray for me, and obtain for me the grace to love him always, and with all my heart! This I ask and hope for from thee. Amen.
 
godisgood77 said:
Appreciate the response. I’m in total agreement with you…namely that saying we can’t to directly to God is craziness… I think this is an easy thing to refute as you clearly do. My point was that I have witnessed mord than a few priests teaching this… Wish that I hadn’t, but I have.
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You can go directly to God for forgiveness, but you can’t receive Communion unless you were absolved in confession( mortal sin). I guess because the priest lets you know you were forgiven & now in the state of grace. 🤷
 
Tommy999 said:
Hi Godisgood77,
I am wondering if there is a chance that you possibly misinterpreted something the priest said, since most other Catholics on this thread seemed to think it is highly unlikely that a priest would actually say that you couldn’t pray directly to God the Father.

However, in an earlier post on this thread I recall you saying they also put the same statement in the church bulletin. Do you still happen to have the statement from the bulletin that concerned you? Not everyone keeps old bulletins (I know I don’t, anyway) but maybe you kept that one since it was troublesome to you and you could quote it for us.
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Tommy - I don’t typically keep bulletin’s, but I did indeed keep this one as it was so troubling.

It was from Nov 24th, 2013 and during a parish wide consecration to our Blessed Mother (first issue…shouldn’t it be consecration to Christ through Mary?) according to Fr. Gaitley ‘33 Days’ formula. I’m happy to transcribe the entire letter if anyone wants it…,but here is the part where I had issues…

*…The primary question that has come up is something like this, “Why do we go exclusively to Mary with everything? Can’t we also go straight to God or rely upon the intercession of other saints too?” The simple answer is “no” and “yes”. No, we really can’t just go straight to God with our prayers, but, yes, we still can and should rely upon the intercession and mediation of the other saints and angels… *

This note in the bulletin reinforced multiple homilies where Father stated that you can not go to God, but must instead go to Mary. He also said that whenever we pray to other saints, that the prayers are delivered to Mary and she brings them to God and that any grace that results comes back through Mary. All of this was communicated as the exclusive way by which we can interact with God. I had never heard of such a thing until then. Subsequently, I have heard a half dozen priests state the same thing all related to Marian consecration and all in the Rockford diocese and all in parishes closely attached to Franciscan U at Steubenville where Mark Miravalle’s influence is felt most strongly.
agree that it is bothersome if they really said that. In a case like that, what would be the course of action that you could take as a concerned congregant, if any?
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I think the proper thing to do is talk directly with the priest and then if not resolved you go to the deanery… Any else know how to handle something like this?
 
godisgood77 said:
Tommy - I don’t typically keep bulletin’s, but I did indeed keep this one as it was so troubling.

It was from Nov 24th, 2013 and during a parish wide consecration to our Blessed Mother (first issue…shouldn’t it be consecration to Christ through Mary?) according to Fr. Gaitley ‘33 Days’ formula. I’m happy to transcribe the entire letter if anyone wants it…,but here is the part where I had issues…

*…The primary question that has come up is something like this, “Why do we go exclusively to Mary with everything? Can’t we also go straight to God or rely upon the intercession of other saints too?” The simple answer is “no” and “yes”. No, we really can’t just go straight to God with our prayers, but, yes, we still can and should rely upon the intercession and mediation of the other saints and angels… *

This note in the bulletin reinforced multiple homilies where Father stated that you can not go to God, but must instead go to Mary. He also said that whenever we pray to other saints, that the prayers are delivered to Mary and she brings them to God and that any grace that results comes back through Mary. All of this was communicated as the exclusive way by which we can interact with God. I had never heard of such a thing until then. Subsequently, I have heard a half dozen priests state the same thing all related to Marian consecration and all in the Rockford diocese and all in parishes closely attached to Franciscan U at Steubenville where Mark Miravalle’s influence is felt most strongly.

I think the proper thing to do is talk directly with the priest and then if not resolved you go to the deanery… Any else know how to handle something like this?
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Thanks for sharing that excerpt from your church bulletin with us, godisgood77.

I am also interested in hearing what other Catholics have to say on the subject. My understanding of the Catholic position is that people can pray to Mary for her intercessory prayers that she in turn would make to Christ on our behalf but that it is not a requirement to go that route. Perhaps someone can clarify.
 
It sounds like the author’s idea is not that we do cannot address God in prayer, which would be absurd, not in the least because the prayer that the Lord gave us begins, “Our Father…” He is probably attempting to convey the idea of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces.
 
QNDNNDQDCE said:
It sounds like the author’s idea is not that we do cannot address God in prayer, which would be absurd, not in the least because the prayer that the Lord gave us begins, “Our Father…” He is probably attempting to convey the idea of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces.
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Thanks for the response. This priest was definitely an advocate for the idea of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces. However, in this particular case, the point he was making was clearly that you can not address God directly in prayer… and I agree with you, it is an absurd proposition. The priest was teaching that must go to Mary. He did not propose it as an option, but as mandatory. As life long Catholics, my wife and I were shocked to say the least.
 
QNDNNDQDCE said:
It sounds like the author’s idea is not that we do cannot address God in prayer, which would be absurd, not in the least because the prayer that the Lord gave us begins, “Our Father…” He is probably attempting to convey the idea of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces.
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It is also absurd because the entire Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is one long prayer addressed to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and it has been so for 2000 years.

Paul
 
Tommy999 said:
Background:

The other day I turned on EWTN and heard Mother Angelica, whom I admire as a godly woman who is full of wisdom and common sense, praying to St Michael.

:
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PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of Battle; Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl through the world, seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen
(This powerful prayer of exorcism was composed by Pope Leo XIII; in a vision, he had been shown the fearful battle to be waged between Satan and St. Michael, over the Church of the future. Now, as never before, the Church needs the intercession of St. Michaell Please say this prayer every day.)
brizek.com/prayer/pieta.htm
 
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