The Saints pray for us



=============================================

These are specific passages in the Bible that support the Catholic doctrine that the saints in Heaven pray for us.

=============================================












=============================================





















































































Genesis 4:
8 Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go out to the field." And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"
10 And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

=============================================

Argument:
The slain Abel appears to be crying for veangance against his murderer -- and God grants his request. If he could pray to God to judge an evildoer, then certainly he can now pray to God for us. Hebrews 11:4 suggests that he does: "he died, but through his faith he is still speaking."

=============================================




























































































Job 33:
19 "Man is also chastened with pain upon his bed, ...
22 His soul draws near the Pit, / and his life to those who bring death.
23 If there be for him an angel, / a mediator, one of the thousand, / to declare to man what is right for him;
24 and he is gracious to him, and says, / 'Deliver him from going down into the Pit, / I have found a ransom;
25 let his flesh become fresh with youth; / let him return to the days of his youthful rigor';
26 then man prays to God, and he accepts him, / he comes into his presence with joy.

=============================================

Argument:
This passage is supposed to show what a conversion is like from the supernatural perspective. And it says that the angels are involved, praying for mercy for those who will repent -- and God answers the angels' prayer.

=============================================






















































































2 Maccabees 15:
11 [Judas] cheered them all by relating a dream, a sort of vision, which was worthy of belief.
12 What he saw was this: Onias, who had been high priest, a noble and good man, of modest bearing and gentle manner, one who spoke fittingly and had been trained from childhood in all that belongs to excellence, was praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews.
13 Then likewise a man appeared, distinguished by his gray hair and dignity, and of marvelous majesty and authority.
14 And Onias spoke, saying, "This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God."

=============================================

Argument:
Judas sees a vision of Jeremiah and Onias (having passed away long ago) together praying for Israel. There is no denying the strength of this passage: out of all the passages that may be discovered now or hence, this is the most clear: the Saints pray for our well-being.

=============================================


























































































Jeremiah 15:
1 Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people."

=============================================

Argument:
God notes that Moses and Samuel are able to beg him to show mercy to the Israelites -- in this case, God apparently would have answered them with a firm "no." But the fact that He would have answered them at all, shows that they must be able to go before Him about it: in prayer.

=============================================


























































































Jeremiah 31:
15 Thus says the LORD: / "A voice is heard in Ramah, / lamentation and bitter weeping. / Rachel is weeping for her children; / she refuses to be comforted for her children, / because they are not."
16 Thus says the LORD: / "Keep your voice from weeping, / and your eyes from tears; / for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, / and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

=============================================

Argument:
Just as in Maccabees, where Jeremiah prayed to God that He show mercy to Israel, here Rachel (wife of Isaac the father of Israel) appears crying out to God for all her children, i.e. all of Israel -- and God answers her lamentation.
Yes indeed, the Saints have that kind of concern for us, and God is that sympathetic to their woes.

=============================================























































































































Zechariah 1:
12 "Then the angel of the LORD said, 'O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years?'
13 And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. ...
16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.
17 Cry again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'"

=============================================

Argument:
The angel of the Lord who related this vision speaks to God on behalf of Jerusalem, and God answers his prayer faithfully, proclaiming that He will return to Jerusalem. Who will say that the Saints and Angels do not do the same for the People of God in His New Covenant? For that is to make the Old Covenant better than the New -- which is despicable.

=============================================










































































































Matthew 18:
10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

=============================================

Argument:
Jesus warns us not to scandalize children because "their angels" have direct access to God. What would this warning mean, if those angels couldn't do anything about it? So the Catholic Church says that they can do something -- they can pray for little children, and they do. And their prayers are powerful enough that anyone who would despise a little child should consider and think: for they are guarded by the prayers of the angels of God themselves.

=============================================





























































































Luke 15:
7 ...I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ...
10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

=============================================

Argument:
The angels and Saints rejoice over the conversion of sinners, and this demonstrates that they are concerned with our salvation. Protestants who say that they do not pray for us, make them inconsistent. For who will say that they care nothing until the moment of conversion? that they look down on us in such a way that, though they see us as we try to understand the things of God, yet they will not even say the smallest prayer for us? but then, when we finally do come to conversion, it is then that they put on a garment for rejoicing -- so that they will not labor with us in our prayers to God, but they will partake of our joy when we have finished the work. That may be the notion that some have of the Saints, but it is not what Christians ought to think. It is more charitable to suppose that they are concerned for us throughout our conversion, and not only at the end of it, such that they pray for us throughout.

=============================================


























































































=============================================

1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is long-suffering; love is kind, and is not envious; love does not brag;
5 it is not conceited; it is not ill-mannered; it is not self-seeking;
6 it is not irritable, it takes no note of injury; it is not glad when injustice triumphs;
7 it is glad when truth prevails. Always it is ready to make allowances; always to trust; always to hope; always to be patient.
8 Love will never end.

=============================================

Argument:
The kind of love that is "kind" to others will never end. The kind of love that is "not self-seeking," but rather seeks for the benefit of others, will never end. And how are the Saints supposed to be kind to us and seek for our benefit, except by praying for us?? For what else can they do for us? So this passage suggests that that is what they do: they go before God to seek for our benefit as a kindness to us -- just exactly as the Catholic Church says. Glory be to God for their prayers!

=============================================
































































































1 Timothy 2:
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.
3 This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

=============================================

Argument:
In this passage, St. Paul tells us that praying for our fellow man is "first of all" for the Christian. If the Saints are unable to do so, then they are either no longer Christians, which is absurd, or they have been made worse than we, because they cannot do what they should do "first of all" -- which is equally preposterous. So the Catholic Church has always taught that the Saints pray for us and for all men: that is the rational way to understand 1 Timothy 2.

=============================================






















































































Revelation 5:
8 ...the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;

=============================================

Argument:
The Saints appear here falling down before God as they present our prayers to Him. It is possible -- and perhaps probable, given the context of prayer -- that these elders are praying for our intentions.

=============================================































































































Revelation 6:
9 ...I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne;
10 they cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?"

=============================================

Argument:
Here, the martyrs appear asking God to avenge them against their martyrs. If they can pray against evildoers, then they can pray for the Christians on earth -- or if anyone will say otherwise, I will ask them to show me in the Scriptures where it says not.

=============================================



















































































=============================================
Hit Counter