Why does the Catholic Church teach that we must go to God through the saints?

[sope1971]

Hello,

I would like to know how I can answers this quesiton when posed to me. Why do you have to go the Saints, Mary and why do you pray to them? When we was John 14:6 telling us to go to the father.

My family is protestant and fallen away Catholics. I never left the church but did go through some challenging times to question my faith. I am now a practing Catholic and even got my younger sister to come back home! I am going to post another question on another thread

Thank you,
God Bless
Charles

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi Charles,

The Catholic Church does not teach that we MUST go to the Father through the saints. The Catholic Church was teaching that Jesus is the only way to the Father thousands of years before Protestantism ever came on the scene. But Jesus did tell us to pray for our needs and often our needs are those of our loved ones. We ask the saints to pray for us just as we ask prayers from each other. But such prayers MUST go to the Father through Jesus. He alone is the perfect mediator between God and man because He is both.

In the Gospels very often Jesus healed people of their needs only after their friends or relatives asked Him to. That’s all the Catholic Church is encouraging.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.