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[WM to Antoninus:] In this instance I can't help but think to myself, "why aren't you going straight to our Saviour, Jesus Christ?". He's never too busy for us and nothing is to small.

I have been thinking that for the longest time. Every minute spent in prayer to a saint is a minute lost with the Lord. Many times I have heard the standard line that it is the same as asking a friend for prayer. I don't buy it. When I ask my friend for prayer, my head isn't bowed and my mind is not cleared and focused only on God. At that moment I am having a conversation with my human friend. That is completely different. If I decided to spend the next 5 minutes in prayer, I would spend all of it with my Master only, I would NOT spend the whole time talking to some dead guy I've never met, asking him to put in a good word for me with God. There is no substitute for praying directly to our Lord, and no purpose for doing otherwise.

When I ask my friend for prayer, my head isn't bowed and my mind is not cleared and focused only on God. At that moment I am having a conversation with my human friend. That is completely different.

If you think of the Saints as being alive (which they are in Heaven), then it is exactly like talking to a friend--and one who has the advantage of standing in the presence of Almighty God. Using your logic, you're absolutely wasting your time asking your earthly friends to pray for you as well. The time spent asking other Christians on earth to pray for you, again using your logic, could be better spent speaking directly to God.

If I decided to spend the next 5 minutes in prayer, I would spend all of it with my Master only, I would NOT spend the whole time talking to some dead guy I've never met, asking him to put in a good word for me with God.

I think the crux of the difference is that some of you view the Saints as "a bunch of dead guys." Catholics view them as very much alive and available to them.