The part us Proddies don't understand is that if you're in a room with God (metaphor-cly speekeeng), why do you talk to Mary to get her to say something to God. If we're not separated at all from God (which you correctly adduce from the Romans passage), then we can pray with confidence to God.
Most of my prayer is directed to God but I feel the need to pray more than I possibly can and so I ask the Holy Spirit, Mary and the Saints to pray for my intentions. That's the whole gist of it, there they are, up in Heaven, praising and glorifying God, seeing His face, feeling His Grace, knowing His love and reflecting it all back to God and I see nothing wrong with asking them to pray for me always.
For the same reasons Christians (at least many of them) ask other Christians to pray for them to God. Like Hopefulpilgrim just did for the headache.
If we're not separated at all from God (which you correctly adduce from the Romans passage), then we can pray with confidence to God.
No doubts about this amoungst Catholics.
The part us Proddies don't understand is that if you're in a room with God (metaphor-cly speekeeng), why do you talk to Mary to get her to say something to God. If we're not separated at all from God (which you correctly adduce from the Romans passage), then we can pray with confidence to God.
I'm sorry that was way too clearly stated, and without vitriol. I'm not sure how to respond. :-)
Oh yeah, it has to do with the amplification of our prayers. We certainly take our petitions to God first, then ask for backing from our fellow Christians in the Communion of Saints, on earth and in heaven.
SD