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Why do we pray to saints?

SUMMER 2019

FIRST OFF, LET'S CLARIFY: As Catholics, we really don’t pray to the saints as much as through them. We ask them to pray for and with us before the Lord, with whom they are already in communion in heaven. They are also much better “prayers” than we are and can help us in our greatest conversation – one we are privileged to have with God.

Some claim this practice is anti-biblical, but the Bible itself tells us to call upon those in heaven and ask them to pray with us. Psalm 103 and other passages in the Old Testament invoke the holy men and women, and indeed the angels, to help us “bless the Lord.” Not only do those in heaven pray with us; they also pray for us, as we see in the New Testament Book of Revelation (5:8), where the saints in heaven offer God the prayers of the saints on earth.

Have you ever asked a friend, family member or even a total stranger to pray for you in a tough time – perhaps during a medical emergency or family crisis or simply when you needed help saying yes to something God was asking from you? I would imagine the answer is yes. So why not the saints? They are experts in prayer and empathy because they know what we are going through.

If you were wrestling with a diagnosis of cancer, you’d seek out a competent and compassionate medical specialist; why not also seek the intercession of Saint Peregrine, patron saint of cancer patients? Do you seek to know God’s will for your life? Ask for the prayers of Saints Peter and Paul, who model a yes to the call to conversion and discipleship. And of course, in any part of life, good or bad, the intercession and motherly prayers of Mary can help us immensely. Here is both the Cause of Our Joy and Our Lady of Sorrows; her prayers are powerful, especially in the holy rosary.

Since there is a solid scriptural basis for petitioning our heavenly friends to pray for us, the practice should be as natural as when we turn for support and prayer to our earthly friends and family. All you holy men and women, pray for us!