CatholicTheology.info

Choose a topic from Part 3 Suppl:

• Penance (Continued)
• Extreme Unction
• Order (Holy Orders)
• Matrimony
• The General Resurrection
  • 69. The Place of Departed Souls
  • 70. Quality of a Separated Soul
  • 71. Suffrages for the Dead
  • 72. Prayers to the Saints
  • 73. Signs Preceding General Resurrection and Judgement
  • 74. The Fire of Judgment Day
  • 75. The Resurrection of the Body
  • 76. The Cause of the Resurrection of the Body
  • 77. Time and Manner of the Resurrection of the Body
  • 78. The Starting Point of the Bodily Resurrection
  • 79. The Risen Body
  • 80. The Integrity of the Risen Body
  • 81. The Quality of Those Risen from the Dead
  • 82. The Impassibility of Risen Bodies
  • 83. The Subtlety of Risen Bodies
  • 84. The Agility of Risen Bodies
  • 85. The Clarity of Risen Bodies
  • 86. The Risen Bodies of the Damned
• The Last Things
• Appendix I (The Innocents in Limbo)
• Appendix II (Two Notes on Purgatory)

72. Prayers to the Saints

1. The saints are all the human beings who have reached heaven.They enjoy the beatific vision, seeing, directly and intuitively,God in his essence. They behold in God all that they ought to knowabout themselves and about their glory. Now, it is part of theirglory to assist others, and help them serve God and reach heaven.Thus the saints cooperate with God; thus they are made godlike. Butthe saints cannot assist others unless they know these others andunderstand their needs. Therefore, the saints know in Godthe devotions, prayers, and promises of people on earth who pray tothe saints.

2. It is right to pray to the saints for their aid. Wepray for one another here on earth. St. Paul, great apostle as hewas, asked humbly for prayers (Rom. 15:30). Our brethren with Godin heaven are in far better position to offer our petitions to himthan are our brethren on earth. Besides, the Church prays to thesaints, as, for example, in the solemn Litany of the Saints.

3. The prayers of the saints for us are effective. Thesaints pray in complete conformity with God's most loving willtowards us, and they ask favors for us according to that will.Thus, their prayers are always granted.

"Before a man chooses his confessor, he ought to think well about it, and pray about it also; but when he has once chosen, he ought not to change, except for most urgent reasons, but put the utmost confidence in his director."
St Philip Neri

* * *

"Whoever wants to stand alone without the support of a master and guide will be like the tree that stands alone in a field without a proprietor. No matter how much the tree bears, passers-by will pick the fruit before it ripens. "
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

* * *

"God commands not impossibilities, but by commanding he suggests to you to do what you can, to ask for what is beyond your strength; and he helps you, that you may be able."
St Augustine

* * *

Copyright