THE YEAR OF FAITH KNOW OUR CATHOLIC FAITH “IN SOLIDARITY WITH GOD’S FAMILY, GOD’S OWN HOUSEHOLD” (part 18) QUESTION: Can you tell me in short then why we pray to the Saints? EXPLANATION: With me often it happens that people ask me to pray for them. “Father, please, pray for me. I’m going to take a board exam”, or “to make a very important decision”, or “to undergo an operation”, or whatever. In fact, we seek each other’s support by simply asking others to pray for us. in my case, even if praying for others is my job, sometimes I feel really small and unworthy to assure the other by saying “Yes”, being aware of my very imperfect condition to pray for them, since I myself am still struggling with my failings and sins here on earth. Yet, I feel confident that God will hear and grant my prayers, because He said: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Mt 7:7; Lk 11:9). Or perhaps, I should better say, and logically so: It would be better for you to ask SOMEONE who is no longer struggling here on earth, someone who is in heaven and close to god’s throne, SOMEONE, as we say in theology, “confirmed in grace”, holy, no longer imperfect. They are the Saints, foremost among them is Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. we may call them “GOD’S POWERFUL FRIENDS:” “Powerful”, first of all, because they have lived holy lives while here on earth by fulfilling faithfully God’s will, because of which they have become God’s close friends, or even members of God’s family, for Jesus said: “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my brother, my sister, my mother” (Mt 12:50). By way of analogy, it’s very much like honoring our country’s heroes. For example, Jose Rizal, our National Hero: To honor him is not contrary to our love of our country, the Philippines, but just the opposite: It instills and promotes patriotism in us, since he is our Model (Rizal) of patriotism and of good citizenship. On a hero’s National Feast, therefore, we put flowers before his statue, and recall his heroic deeds. In the same way, the giving of honors to the Saints help instill and promote in us love of God and the other godly virtues which can lead us to holiness of life here on earth. And we pray to them, because they are members of God’s household, and therefore, our powerful intercessors with God, as we read in the Bible: “You are the HOUSEHOLD OF GOD. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:19-20). THE SAINTS DO NOT STEAL OR TALE AWAY THE HONOR DUE TO GOD, BUT ADD, FOSTER AND CHANNEL IT ALL TO HIM. WE DO NOT ADORE THE SAINTS. “ADORATION” IS DUE TO GOD ALONE. (by Erasio Flores, SVD) To be continue…
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:08:24 +0000
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