[Dominick]

No, that is vitally relevant. God knows from the beginning whom he will choose. It is all part of his plan. Even Satan is part of his plan. We don't have a choice in the matter. None at all.

Perhaps we do or we don't. It is as irrelevant as how many Angels dance on the head of a pin. You will never know. God will never tell you, and even if you thought you knew, you could not know this with certainty. It is like "Schroedinger's Cat", until you resolve the field of probabilities, you don't actually know the answer. Until the end of time, you really wont know. For man it is an unknown, and you can't pretend to know the mind of God.

Prove that they are aware of us and our needs using scripture

Matt 19:28 shows the Apostles on thrones with Jesus in Heaven. Clearly they exercise some sort of authority and influence with the Father in Heaven. As Solomon had his Mother in the Throne room, so is the Mother of Christ.

You are correct though there are no instances of the Apostles praying or honoring those in Heaven except Moses and Elijah (Mark 9:5), where Christ rebuked them for attempted to build tents for the three, he did not rebuke them for the honor of them. Why those three? Because only Moses and Elijah were considered to be with God at the time, in fact, we could say they were early Saints. In anticipation of Christ, they were counted as among the first to worship before God.

And what about ex-saint Christopher? Are his prayers still valid? Does he wield the same influence now that he has been de-sainted?

Show me a act of the Pope, that proclaims he is not a Saint? There isn't. Saint Christopher hasn't been de-sainted. He was counted among the Saints from his death in 251, and is recorded as a Saint from Justinian.

[irishtenor]

***You are correct though there are no instances of the Apostles praying or honoring those in Heaven***

If it were ok to pray to the saints, wouldn't Peter, or Paul, or any of them have done it? Even after Peter was dead, no one prayed to him. Once again, to pray to the saints or to Mary for intervention is like calling the fire department in Hawaii when your house is burning in Iowa. Call direct and talk to the Father himself.

***you can't pretend to know the mind of God.***

I never said I know the mind of God. You said it was irelevant whether God knew what was going to happen. I consider it very relevant the it is God's plan and it will go forth as he has planned it and nobody or nothing will change it.

***As Solomon had his Mother in the Throne room, so is the Mother of Christ.***

This is totally unprovable. There is nothing in scripture that tells you this.

***Show me a act of the Pope, that proclaims he is not a Saint? ***

This came out about 5 years ago. Don't have any proof text or anything like that. Call it an inconclusive claim on my part.