Reneen asked a queatsion that lead me to think for a moment.

This is soemthign that I have wondered for a whole now, but have not asked, so now I ofer it tot he frum, knowng full well I will recieve a god answer.

Concernign Prayers to sains and Mary, I know you do not Pray Through them to God, but rather ask them to pray for you. OK, that art is not the issue.

Nonetheless, in My Cahtholic Prayer Books ( Which I collect, I also own the episcopalian book of Common prayers, ect...) they have prayers to Mary and the Saints.

These Prayers usually ask for Intercession, but in a few cases they are generic requeasts for Prayer.

Now, My queatsion is this. Suppose I became cahtolic, woudl I then be expected to make such petitions to siants and Mary? Or could I forgoe this and smpley continue my pracitce of prayign only to God?

I know the prayers are merely askign them to pray for you, still, could I leave off this practice, and not ask the Saints or Mary to Pray for me?

I know the answer is yes in most regards, but I am asking on expectations and proper conduct.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), March 29, 2004

Answers

TO ask.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), March 29, 2004.

Zarove,

If you were to become Catholic and remain uncomfortable with asking Mary and the saints to pray for you, you are not required to do so and it would not be "expected" of you. Despite what some anti- Catholics might say, Catholicism has never taught that prayer to Mary and the saints and their intercessions are required for salvation.

No Catholic would probably even know whether you ever asked Mary and the saints to pray for you since it doesn't usually come up. Such things usually take place in private prayer. When public prayer for intercession to Mary and the saints occurs, it is something you would probably have to go out of your way to participate in.

Call me a pessimist, but I would venture to guess that there are a lot of Catholics who never ask Mary to pray for them simply because it never even occurs to them to ask for her intercession. But then again, they may be missing out on the prayers of wonderful friends who are closer to God than any living human being.

My guess is that Mary and the saints are praying for all of us whether we ask for their intercession or not. By humbling ourselves to ask friends to pray for us, whether it's Mary and the saints, or living human beings, I think in a way we open ourselves to His grace and prepare ourselves to accept and do God's will.

Besides, the Bible tells us "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. Eli'jah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit." James 5:16- 18 These verses talk about us here on earth praying for each other. But Heaven is filled with the righteous. If the righteuos on earth can pray for us, why not the righteous in Heaven, and why wouldn't we want them to do so? Imagine how powerful and pleasing must be the prayers of the righteous who have completed their trials and are pure and face to face with God in Heaven.

I understand where you are coming from though. God bless you!

If you are not comfortable with such prayer, you could ask for guidance from Jesus Himself. Open your heart to Him and ask for understanding regarding this topic and He will answer you.

-- Andy (aszmere@earthlink.net), March 29, 2004.

Zarove: here are two passages from Revelation:

Revelation 5:8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty- four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 8:3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

It would be very interesting to know what do you make of them?

Why would the elders and the angels have to present the prayers of the Saints? Weren't these prayers directed to God Himself?

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), March 30, 2004.