Affiliating with Saints a Catholic thing to do???

[SpiritualBeing]

Hey all,

Today, in school, I was having a little chat with the chaplain, and I said to him,

"I usually pray to St. Christopher for the smaller things that I need, because I think that God needs a bit of a rest once in a while".

And he replied to me by saying that praying to a Saint, and affiliating yourself with a Saint, is a Catholic thing to do and that it was better not to do it, as I am not a Catholic.

At this remark, I snubbed him completely and walked away, but it stayed with me.

Is it true that it's only Catholics who can pray to Saints, or can a simple Christian like myself do so also?

:candle:

 

[Ringer]

my understanding is, and somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, is you don't pray to the saints, per se. I believe you are more or less asking them to intercede on your behalf. Saints in and of themselves don't have the power to do answer prayers. That task for God alone.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Hey all,

Today, in school, I was having a little chat with the chaplain, and I said to him,

"I usually pray to St. Christopher for the smaller things that I need, because I think that God needs a bit of a rest once in a while".

And he replied to me by saying that praying to a Saint, and affiliating yourself with a Saint, is a Catholic thing to do and that it was better not to do it, as I am not a Catholic.

Even from a Catholic point-of-view, I'm not sure how that would work.

AFAIK, the normal position of the Catholic Church is that when you invoke the name of a saint in your prayers, you're asking that saint to intercede with God on your behalf; you're not asking the saint to do himself/herself what God would normally do.

At this remark, I snubbed him completely and walked away, but it stayed with me.

Is it true that it's only Catholics who can pray to Saints, or can a simple Christian like myself do so also?

Nobody's going to throw you in jail no matter what you do, but your own church may have its own views on the subject.

Different denominations teach different things about saints and praying to them. It's accepted in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, but generally not accepted (or in some cases accepted in a limited way) in the Protestant Churches. I think the Anglicans/Episcopalians have a range of views on the subject, but I don't know all the details.

 

[SpiritualBeing]

I don't really "pray" to a Saint as such. When I say I pray to a Saint, I mean it in the sense of requesting his assistance in some way.

I don't know if you can understand what I just said, but I would say something like:

Saint Christopher
I ask that you grant me the strength, using your divine powers given through Sainthood, to help me fight the viral infection that I have picked up. I request that you walk tih me in the long battle ahead, and help to rid me of this contamination.

It is very basic, yes, and I would not quite word it like this, but you get the general idea. I do not class this as a prayer, because I am not finishing it off with the word Amen.

it is often said that Saints, through gaining Sainthood, are granted divine powers in order to help people with basic things, like battling a cold for example.

:candle:

 

[Mjolnir]

Is not the widely held belief in Christianity that the saints intercede to God on your behalf, not they themselves who perform the miracle/fulfill the prayer?

 

[sandandfoam]

I don't really "pray" to a Saint as such. When I say I pray to a Saint, I mean it in the sense of requesting his assistance in some way.

I don't know if you can understand what I just said, but I would say something like:

Saint Christopher
I ask that you grant me the strength, using your divine powers given through Sainthood, to help me fight the viral infection that I have picked up. I request that you walk tih me in the long battle ahead, and help to rid me of this contamination.

It is very basic, yes, and I would not quite word it like this, but you get the general idea. I do not class this as a prayer, because I am not finishing it off with the word Amen.

it is often said that Saints, through gaining Sainthood, are granted divine powers in order to help people with basic things, like battling a cold for example.

:candle:

My Aunt gave me a relic from Padre Pio. She was a very devout woman and used pray to him often for me and my family. Because of her I have a fondness bordering on the superstitious for Padre Pio. If praying to a saint works for you - pray to your saint.

 

[logician]

Hey all,

Today, in school, I was having a little chat with the chaplain, and I said to him,

"I usually pray to St. Christopher for the smaller things that I need, because I think that God needs a bit of a rest once in a while".

And he replied to me by saying that praying to a Saint, and affiliating yourself with a Saint, is a Catholic thing to do and that it was better not to do it, as I am not a Catholic.

At this remark, I snubbed him completely and walked away, but it stayed with me.

Is it true that it's only Catholics who can pray to Saints, or can a simple Christian like myself do so also?

:candle:

SO the premise here is that Catholics are complicated Christians, and all other Christians are simple ones? LOL

 

[blackout]

Hey all,

Today, in school, I was having a little chat with the chaplain, and I said to him,

"I usually pray to St. Christopher for the smaller things that I need, because I think that God needs a bit of a rest once in a while".

:candle:

By catholic understanding you're not "giving god a rest" at all.
Instead of you going to god yourself,
you're simply asking someone of higher favor to go to god in your stead.
(on your behalf).

But you are most certainly free to do and believe and percieve
however you would like.

If you want to ask a "saint" to do something for you directly,
(like you would a friend), go for it.

And why not?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Episcopalians and Eastern Orthodox pray to the Saints.

 

[Dunemeister]

I don't really "pray" to a Saint as such. When I say I pray to a Saint, I mean it in the sense of requesting his assistance in some way.

I don't know if you can understand what I just said, but I would say something like:

Saint Christopher
I ask that you grant me the strength, using your divine powers given through Sainthood, to help me fight the viral infection that I have picked up. I request that you walk tih me in the long battle ahead, and help to rid me of this contamination.

It is very basic, yes, and I would not quite word it like this, but you get the general idea. I do not class this as a prayer, because I am not finishing it off with the word Amen.

it is often said that Saints, through gaining Sainthood, are granted divine powers in order to help people with basic things, like battling a cold for example.

:candle:

Forgive me for saying so, but that sounds highly idolatrous. I realize I'm stepping on many pious toes here, but as a Christian, you have the right to proceed right up to the throne room of God and make your petition. There is one and only one mediator between God and man -- Jesus. As a Christian, you've got Jesus on your side, and sidestepping him in favor of a "saint" is a diminution of Christ's dignity and work.

There's also the problem that the New Testament never says that after people die, some get to be saints while others don't. On the contrary, it often calls living Christian saints (even those who have sinned and are sinning) but has comparatively little to say of them after death (other than that they are in the presence of God and await resurrection). We're all saints. St. Christopher doesn't have any advantage over living Christians as far as intercession goes. Nor does he have anything over Jesus.

So I advise you to abandon praying to saints. That's idolatry. Rather, pray with living, embodied saints.

 

[FerventGodSeeker]

Hey all,

Today, in school, I was having a little chat with the chaplain, and I said to him,

"I usually pray to St. Christopher for the smaller things that I need, because I think that God needs a bit of a rest once in a while".

And he replied to me by saying that praying to a Saint, and affiliating yourself with a Saint, is a Catholic thing to do and that it was better not to do it, as I am not a Catholic.

At this remark, I snubbed him completely and walked away, but it stayed with me.

Is it true that it's only Catholics who can pray to Saints, or can a simple Christian like myself do so also?

:candle:

Of course you can. :yes: The question is whether your Protestant brethren will agree with your decision to do so. I know that certain Protestants like Lutherans tend to be more friendly to the idea, though.

 

[Scott1]

SO the premise here is that Catholics are complicated Christians, and all other Christians are simple ones? LOL

I take back all the bad things I've said about you... this is genius.

 

[SpiritualBeing]

I am not saying that St. Christopher is higher than Jesus Christ himself, and does the legend not state that even St. Christopher preached the Word of God brought to this world by Jesus Christ. I am merely asking the saint in particualr to carry my message onwards to God. And usually in my prayers, I state that Christ is the one and only begotten Son of God, and that no other being can "rank" higher than Him.

I will not abandon my belief in the Saints, for I believe that they are there to help us in any way that they can. I will continue to practise my religion in the fashion that I am.

I do not regard St. Christopher as an idol in any way, I regard him more as an angel of the Lord, who is there to help all those who ask him to.

:candle:

 

[Heneni]

I am not saying that St. Christopher is higher than Jesus Christ himself, and does the legend not state that even St. Christopher preached the Word of God brought to this world by Jesus Christ. I am merely asking the saint in particualr to carry my message onwards to God. And usually in my prayers, I state that Christ is the one and only begotten Son of God, and that no other being can "rank" higher than Him.

I will not abandon my belief in the Saints, for I believe that they are there to help us in any way that they can. I will continue to practise my religion in the fashion that I am.

I do not regard St. Christopher as an idol in any way, I regard him more as an angel of the Lord, who is there to help all those who ask him to.

:candle:

In the OT there are accounts of angels carrying message from and to the throne of god.

 

[SpiritualBeing]

In the OT there are accounts of angels carrying message from and to the throne of god.

The notion could then be implied that God can grant the angel/saint in question the authority to act upon the task that he/she has been asked to do?

:candle:

 

[Heneni]

I certainly think so. I dont particularly feel the need to pray to a saint, but i know that god sends his angels to deliver messages, and they certainly act upon whatever god requires them to do.

If I had to give you my best interpretation of scripture in this regard, id say you are quite qualified to ask god yourself.

Even Jesus said that there will be a time when he wont ask the father on our behalf, but that we can ask him ourselves.

Do you consider your saint to be your friend? Perhaps he is your guardian angel. In that regard he is looking out for you already.

There is just one scripture that comes to mind that you might want to have a think about. Jesus said, that no one comes to the father but by HIM.

Our guardian angels are constantly in the presence of god, which only makes me believe that they are there on your behalf.

 

[Darkwater]

Some saints are interesting,a great paradox being those saints who travelled the astral & other realms,people of vision.Mainly hermetic monks of some sorts,not denounced for some reason.

Saint Alphonsus interests me also,going to his church soon....Our lady of eternal succour.

Looking forward to this service,better not be dumbed down trash.

Namaste

Andy

 

[Scott1]

I will not abandon my belief in the Saints, for I believe that they are there to help us in any way that they can. I will continue to practise my religion in the fashion that I am.

I do not regard St. Christopher as an idol in any way, I regard him more as an angel of the Lord, who is there to help all those who ask him to.

Well said! :yes:

Even though we don't know much of anything about St. Christopher, I'm glad that he helps you on your journey of faith.... and that should be all that matters.

 

[FerventGodSeeker]

I certainly think so. I dont particularly feel the need to pray to a saint, but i know that god sends his angels to deliver messages, and they certainly act upon whatever god requires them to do.

If I had to give you my best interpretation of scripture in this regard, id say you are quite qualified to ask god yourself.

Even Jesus said that there will be a time when he wont ask the father on our behalf, but that we can ask him ourselves.

There's an odd notion among many Protestants/non-Catholics that praying "to" saints is somehow a replacement for praying to God, or that Catholics/those who pray to the saints don't feel worthy or able to pray to God Himself. Just so you know, that is the farthest thing from the truth.

 

[Dunemeister]

There's an odd notion among many Protestants/non-Catholics that praying "to" saints is somehow a replacement for praying to God, or that Catholics/those who pray to the saints don't feel worthy or able to pray to God Himself. Just so you know, that is the farthest thing from the truth.

\

Tell me then, what is the point of praying "to" a saint (if that's how you characterize it) if not to obtain some spiritual benefit? And how isn't it replacing Jesus when the gospel promises those benefits to believers through Jesus, and scripture nowhere affirms that these benefits come through the efforts of saints in heaven?

Note that we've still not addressed the utter silence of the bible on the matter of different ranks of Christians in heaven, as in "some are saints worthy of being prayed to whereas others are not saints (or otherwise not worthy or competent to intercede)." It seems as though they're all equal in the sight of scripture. So why can't I pray to my Aunt Hilda? And if I can do that, why can't the pagan down the street pray to his righteous uncle Fred? In other words, what really distinguishes prayer to the saints from the pagan practice of ancestor worship? Seems like same same to me.