Why skip the Catholic sources that tie those symbols to 1) the existing worship of the Father and 2) the book of Revelation? I would say that the average evangelical service I see on TV (which are pretty good for all if you ask me despite disagreements on their scriptural mistakes) incorporates drums, guitars, microphones, amps, sound board mixes, suit and ties, toms of make-up, healing over the TV by prayer, etc Are not these the Pagan instruments of our time? Of course. But I’m not really proving anything here and so what? The point is they are they belong to Our Lord now.
The basis for praying for the dead is in St Paul and Tradition.
Second Timothy: For Onesiphorus “The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day” -
Tradition - all the early church prayed for the dead, as did many Jewish sects. In fact, praying for the dead comes from the soul of the living as a calling we all need to participate in.
Old Testament - II Machabees, xii, 40-46. When Judas and his men came to take away for burial the bodies of their brethren who had fallen in the battle against Gorgias, “they found under the coats of the slain some of the donaries of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbiddeth to the Jews: so that all plainly saw, that for this cause they were slain. Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the things that were hidden. And so betaking themselves to prayers, they besought him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten . And making a gathering, he [Judas] sent twelve [al. two] thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection (for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead), and because he considered that they who had fallen asleep in godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Please describe where the Church refuses to hear the words of Our Blessed Lord?
That never was part of scripture until the Catholic Church added it. The oracles of God were entrusted to the Jews and the Jews never considered it scripture.
If you hold the apocrypha to be scripture do you also burn fish hearts to ward off demons? Do you believe that have a daughter is a shame?
>>Please describe where the Church refuses to hear the words of Our Blessed Lord?<<
God said don't take things the pagans use to worship their gods and use them to worship Him. The Catholics do use things the pagan's use.