Recently, I was watching a reality show with some of my non-Catholic Christian friends. We somehow got on the topic of whether or not we thought one of the guys on the show was Catholic.
One of them made a comment like, “Then does he pray to Jesus or Mary?”
Another sort of snarkily replied, “Mary, duh.”
My Catholic pride quickly came to the surface as I responded, “Nooo we pray TO Jesus, THROUGH Mary, remember? We ask for her intercession.”
It was almost a reflex because intercessory prayer is a Catholic practice so often misunderstood by other faiths. Even a lot of Catholics can’t explain it correctly.
Asking for prayers from Mary, the saints, and others who have gone before us is a practice that’s been present since Christ walked the earth. But like many other Catholic practices and teachings, it has been questioned and under fire by many other believers since the Protestant Reformation.
Many of them wonder, “Why pray through the saints if I can just pray directly to Jesus all the time? If it’s not necessary, why do it?”
Well today I wanted to shed some light on the power of intercessory prayer, why Catholics believe in the Communion of Saints, and why praying through the saints can only help (not hurt) your soul.
So What’s The Communion of Saints All About?
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints…”
The Communion of Saints.
This line from the Apostles’ Creed that Catholics say religiously is so easily overlooked, but is an extremely powerful and meaningful part of our faith. It’s the reason why we, as Catholics, pray for each other and our loved ones who have died, and why we ask saints who have died to pray for us.
But what does it mean?
Essentially, as Catholics we believe the Church is made up of the Communion of Saints. Christ is our head, we are His body. We are united to each other through the sacraments, the gifts given to us, and our actions. Through the unity of the Body of Christ, we believe in a bond between heaven and earth, the living and the dead.
St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians,
“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
The Communion of Saints is the reason we pray for one another on earth. We ask our friends to pray for us or our loved ones all the time, so why stop when they die? In fact, if someone we know has died and is in heaven, wouldn’t their prayers be even MORE POWERFUL since they are closer to Jesus than us?
We read in the Catechism,
“Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness… They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus… So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 956)
St. Therese of Lisieux, one of the greatest saints of modern times, was once quoted as saying,
“I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.”
If we are part of the Communion of Saints, then wouldn’t those loved ones and saints in heaven want to gladly help us here on earth? So why don’t we let them?
[ctt template=”3″ link=”R90i6″ via=”yes” ]”If we are part of the Communion of Saints, then wouldn’t those loved ones and saints in heaven gladly want to help us here on earth? So why don’t we let them?” // @beautifuldepths[/ctt]
Why Not Just Pray Directly to Jesus?
Many people say that they don’t see the point of asking saints for their intercession because they can pray directly to Jesus. This is one of the biggest reasons for not utilizing the power of intercessory prayer.
First, it’s important to point out that am I in no way refuting prayer to Jesus. Our personal relationship with Christ is essential to grow spiritually. Everyone MUST develop that deep and intimate bond with Christ.
However, the point I’d like you to think about is this: If we shouldn’t ask Mary and the saints for their prayers for us, then why do we ask people around us for their prayers? If we can pray directly to Jesus, why ask for our friends to pray for us here on earth?!?
I talk to Jesus constantly throughout my day, but I still ask my friends to pray for me all the time! Why? Because I can use all the prayers I can get! And that’s the same reason why I ask the saints and Mary for their prayers for me and others. How much more powerful are their prayers since they are already with God in heaven?
James 5:16 says,
“The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effect.” St. Paul explains, “Yet those Christians in heaven are more righteous, since they have been made perfect to stand in God’s presence” (Heb. 12:22-23).
The prayers of the saints are incredibly powerful because they stand in the presence of God!
As Christians, Christ calls us to pray for each other (Matthew 5:44), so it’s a good thing! Our relationship with Christ will always be central and paramount. However, that shouldn’t prevent us from asking others, especially those saints and angels in heaven, to pray for us!
To refuse the saints’ intercession is to not take advantage of a wonderful grace God gives us through the Communion of Saints. It’s a GOOD thing, and can only help, not harm.
Ways to Invoke Saint’s Intercession
Now you may be thinking, “Okay I get it. But I don’t feel comfortable asking for the saints’ or Mary’s intercession like I do my own friends because I don’t really know the saints personally.”
I get that. The reason it’s so easy to ask our friends for prayers is because we have a relationship with them and talk to them often.
So the solution is simple! Get to know the saints. Get to know Mary. There are thousands and thousands of books on lives of different saints and devotions to them. Each saint has a beautiful story worth reading can teach us about living out our faith in the world. They did, in fact, walk this earth just like we did.
Keep in mind that every person may relate differently to different saints. St. Mother Teresa, St. John Paul the Great, St. Gianna, St. Maximillian Kolbe, and other modern-day saints have always inspired me. But there are literally thousands of canonized saints whose stories are waiting to help you grow closer to Christ.
Don’t be afraid to learn more about the saints. Don’t be afraid of talking to Mary and asking her to help you. Jesus Christ is and always will be the most important relationship in your life, but don’t be afraid to develop a relationship with friends and saints to help you in your journey.
All the saints and angels in heaven, pray for us!
From the depths of my soul,
Josie
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
If you want to learn more about this topic in detail, check out some of the resources below. They will help explain things more thoroughly if you need a little more background.
https://www.catholic.com/tract/praying-to-the-saints
https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-intercession-of-the-saints
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p5.htm
