What's the official Catholic church teaching why saints hear prayers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter souldiver
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
The Bible does not directly mention praying to the saints or to the dead, but there are various passages that may point to such practices with imagery and the like. The most oft-cited verse relates that the saints offer up our prayers as though they are incense:
And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each one harps and golden vials full of perfumes, which are the prayers of the saints… (Revelation 5:8, YLT)
Click to expand...
This is a good Catholic source dealing specifically with your question on how they can hear us, not on whether to pray to saints with strong references to what the ancient Christians once did: thedivinemercy.org/news/How-Can-the-Saints-Hear-and-Answer-Our-Prayers-2859

This is a Catholic Answers source on it that doesn’t really contain much, but it does have some biblical citations: catholic.com/tracts/praying-to-the-saints
 
Here you go.👍

From the CCC:

PART FOUR
CHRISTIAN PRAYER

SECTION ONE
PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

CHAPTER TWO
THE TRADITION OF PRAYER

ARTICLE 3
GUIDES FOR PRAYER

A cloud of witnesses

2683 The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom,41 especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were "put in charge of many things."42 Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.

And there’s more here.

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c2a3.htm

Hope this helps.👍
 
Hatikvah said:
The Bible does not directly mention praying to the saints or to the dead, but there are various passages that may point to such practices with imagery and the like. The most oft-cited verse relates that the saints offer up our prayers as though they are incense:

This is a good Catholic source dealing specifically with your question on how they can hear us, not on whether to pray to saints with strong references to what the ancient Christians once did: thedivinemercy.org/news/How-Can-the-Saints-Hear-and-Answer-Our-Prayers-2859

This is a Catholic Answers source on it that doesn’t really contain much, but it does have some biblical citations: catholic.com/tracts/praying-to-the-saints
Click to expand...
Well, the Jews certainly were recalling Elijah fondly, even setting a place for him at the Seder table.
 
pianistclare said:
Well, the Jews certainly were recalling Elijah fondly, even setting a place for him at the Seder table.
Click to expand...
Yes, we can draw parallels to the current practice (as an “invocation” one article refers to ancient forms of our practice). However, it is not entirely the same. Isn’t the current practice more developed in its theology?
 
souldiver said:
I’ve seen very good answers here, but I think it’s the poster’s personal answer and not the clergy’s. I’m not finished reading all messages. forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=902651&highlight=saints+hear

Can anyone show satisfactory excerpts of explanation from … Bible?
Click to expand...
When the angel Raphael revealed his true identity to Tobit, he explained his role in bringing a reminder of Tobit’s prayer to heaven:
And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; (Tobit 12:12)
So, it seems to me, the Bible, at least those containing the book of Tobit, supports the notion that angels act as prayer messengers between earth and heaven, as does Jacob’s vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder between earth and heaven. (Genesis 28:12)

Angels and human saints seem to keep company with each other in heaven. (Hebrews 12:22-23; Revelation 7:11; Luke 16:22) Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that they can communicate with each other. Now, if angels bring reminders of prayers from earth to heaven, as mentioned above in Tobit, and if they can communicate with the saints in heaven, as seems reasonable from those passages in the Bible where they are mentioned keeping company with each other there, then it seems reasonable to assume that angels act as general prayer messengers, not only bringing reminders of our prayers before the Holy One but also before his saints in heaven.

So, when the three young men in the fiery furnace prayed, “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous, sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever” (Daniel 3:86), it is reasonable to assume that their prayers were heard, if not directly by the saints, then through the ministry of angels acting as prayer messengers.
 
souldiver said:
I’ve seen very good answers here, but I think it’s the poster’s personal answer and not the clergy’s. I’m not finished reading all messages. forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=902651&highlight=saints+hear

Can anyone show satisfactory excerpts of explanation from the CCC, the clergy or Bible?
Click to expand...
I’ll dig more information to provide mean while I have found this website:
aggiecatholicblog.org/2015/11/why-do-catholics-pray-to-saints/
as sson as I find the answer I will provide it to you through resources.
 
souldiver said:
I’ve seen very good answers here, but I think it’s the poster’s personal answer and not the clergy’s. I’m not finished reading all messages. forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=902651&highlight=saints+hear

Can anyone show satisfactory excerpts of explanation from the CCC, the clergy or Bible?
Click to expand...
actually even better here you go:
catholic.com/tracts/the-intercession-of-the-saints
catholic.com/tracts/praying-to-the-saints
newadvent.org/summa/5072.htm
newadvent.org/cathen/08070a.htm
newadvent.org/cathen/04171a.htm
newadvent.org/summa/3083.htm#article11 (article 11)
newadvent.org/cathen/09291a.htm
newadvent.org/cathen/12345b.htm (who we can pray)

newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm (beatification and canonization)
newadvent.org/cathen/04653a.htm (prayer for the dead)

There is much more but these are the essentials.
 
Hatikvah said:
Yes, we can draw parallels to the current practice (as an “invocation” one article refers to ancient forms of our practice). However, it is not entirely the same. Isn’t the current practice more developed in its theology?
Click to expand...
OF course. I was responding to his assertion that there’s not Scriptural evidence for it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top