Their bodies are asleep. The Bible tells us that. The Bible says that those who are dead are asleep and when Jesus returns their bodies will rise from the grave. That doesn’t mean they are not spiritually alive in heaven. Them being spiritually alive in heaven does not mean they see all/know all that is going on here on earth.
To the first half of your post, that is exactly correct.
I don’t. However, I also do not know if they can hear/see me. I don’t know who specifically is in heaven which is why I do not ask these people for prayers. Last thing I want to be doing is wasting my time, and possibly sinning, by asking someone who is not in heaven to pray for me. I am also scared of going from asking them to pray for me to actually praying to them. I am not saying all Catholics do that, but I have witnessed some of my own family members and relatives taking it a little too far. If I want people to pray for me I ask those Christians who are alive. When it comes to Jesus we all have a way to Him and He will hear my prayers and those living on earth just as loud as those living in heaven.
Anything you say after “I don’t” is rationalization based on what someone else rationalized themselves.
Then you wouldn’t have a problem with a prayer like this:
I don’t have a problem with that.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen it work before!vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html
And knowing that they pray for us, it isn’t wrong to ask God to listen to their prayers for us, as well.
Thank you.
True this, but we are also told to pray for each other, so we have reason to hope that our prayers have the ear of our Lord and God.
Amen.
Always blessed by your posts Zooey.
I pray for the dead because everything that is in me cries out that they desire our prayers.
As far as time vs eternity, I have seen cases of folks whose physical condition is changed even though, in the (recent) past, they were diagnosed as seriously injured/ill. This is “after” the prayers of God’s people. If (& I have seen this) a child’s jawbone is broken into pieces in a car crash, & people pray, & the next day, new x-rays show that the jaw is whole & normal, then God has reached into what we call “the past” & changed the case entirely.
In the same way, when we pray for the dead, they are not in time. Being beyond that limitation that we have, why would our prayers not be efficacious in eternity?
Besides, as I say, the heart cries out for the prayers for our beloved dead, as well as for ohters who have passed from this mortal life. It is not necessary to believe in purgatory in order to pray for the dead. (I do, in fact, believe that we all must pass through a process of cleansing to be ready for God’s presence, but it isn’t necessary to believe as I do in order to pray). What is necessary is to be open to the inner voice of God that speaks to those of us who know & love & serve Him, & to obey that voice.
I am a big believer that when God tells me to do something,** I had better be doing it**, and not arguing the exact theological complexities involved in the case.
I am the servant; He is the Master. I just do as He leads me, & He leads me to pray for those whose faces are no longer here with us on this old earth.