In
Rev 5:8, John makes clear that prayers,
or offerings of "harp and gold bowls filled
with incense" by the saints that saints
actively intercede for us. This is such an
historic Christian practice shared by more
than three quarters of the Christians on
earth since the early days of Christianity
but is under attack from many within the
Protestant movement that was not established
until the sixteenth century.
"When he took it, the four living
creatures and the twenty-four elders fell
down before the Lamb. Each of the elders
held a harp and gold bowls filled with
incense, which are the prayers of the holy
ones."
"Praying to" saints
does appear to indicate a worship of the
Saint as if giving to the Saint or Mary what
is due to God alone. But these prayers or
conversations with the saints have always
been and always will be a form of honoring
the virtuous and those the Catholic Church
has found to have "lives have been marked by
the exercise of heroic virtue, and only
after this has been proved by common repute
for sanctity and by conclusive arguments."
But why pray to saints
when you can pray directly to God?
The most common
non-Catholic objection to praying to saints
are in
Heb 9:15:
"For this reason he is mediator of a new
covenant: since a death has taken place
for deliverance from transgressions under
the first covenant, those who are called
may receive the promised eternal
inheritance."
and
Heb 12:24
"and Jesus, the mediator of a new
covenant, and the sprinkled blood that
speaks more eloquently 7 than that of
Abel."
And yet you have
probably heard of Protestants requesting
"praying over" the afflicted or those who
need spiritual support? Now just think about
that. How can one ask anyone else, or those
who belong to that congregation, to pray for
others and yet find it disdainful for
Catholics to ask a saint to intercede for
me?
This objection from the
Protestants apparently comes from the
declaration in the Old Testament against
contact with the dead, as in
Deuteronomy 18:10–11
"10 Let there not be found among you
anyone who immolates his son or daughter
in the fire, nor a fortune-teller,
soothsayer, charmer, diviner,
11 or caster of
spells, nor one who consults ghosts and
spirits or seeks oracles from the dead."
But these refer to
superstitions, such as augury (by a
fortune-teller, a soothsayer or a diviner);
black magic (by a charmer or caster of
spells); and necromancy (by one who consults
ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the
dead).
In fact, if you read
further on
Deuteronomy 18:12-18, the meaning of the
passages are clarified:
"12 Anyone who does such things is an
abomination to the LORD, and because of
such abominations the LORD, your God, is
driving these nations out of your way.
13 You, however, must
be altogether sincere toward the LORD,
your God.
14 Though these
nations whom you are to dispossess listen
to their soothsayers and fortune-tellers,
the LORD, your God, will not permit you to
do so.
15 "A prophet like me
will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kinsmen; to him you
shall listen.
16 This is exactly
what you requested of the LORD, your God,
at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when
you said, 'Let us not again hear the voice
of the LORD, our God, nor see this great
fire any more, lest we die.'
17 And the LORD said
to me, 'This was well said.
18 I will raise up
for them a prophet like you from among
their kinsmen, and will put my words into
his mouth; he shall tell them all that I
command him."
This, despite
1 Tim 2:5?
"For there is one God. There is also one
mediator between God and the human race,
Christ Jesus, himself human,"
Absolutely yes!
Especially, when you read the lines BEFORE
1 Tim 2:5:
"1 First of all, then, I ask that
supplications, prayers, petitions, and
thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
2 for kings and for
all in authority, that we may lead a quiet
and tranquil life in all devotion and
dignity.
3 This is good and
pleasing to God our savior,
4 who wills everyone
to be saved and to come to knowledge of
the truth."
Lastly, read
Psalms 103:20-21.
"20 Bless the LORD, all you angels, mighty
in strength and attentive, obedient to
every command.
21 Bless the LORD,
all you hosts, ministers who do God's
will."
Asking saints to
intercede for us to God and those in heaven
is Biblical. And this is the teaching of the
Catholic Church.
This is the
teaching of the Catholic Church.
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