Hello -
You wrote:
“....As for the praying to the Saints for their intercession, like I said, I don’t see any such thing in Scripture ever being encouraged but it’s not my place to tell anyone they can’t or shouldn’t. What I think happens with some is they imagine someone whom they “know” is already in God’s presence in Heaven having an “in” or special audience to God’s ear which has advantages over asking a mere mortal still here on Earth to pray for them. Even more so with Mary presuming she can not be refused in what she asks of her son, Jesus. That just kind of gives me an icky feeling, no offense.
So when you speak of WHOM something is being asked for changes the essentia of what is being asked, in light of what I said above, the “whom” being asked to pray for us/with us certainly does essentially change the prayer. It makes no difference if the Saint goes through Jesus to the Father, because that isn’t really the issue so much as whether or not asking an already “beatified” saint over a “maybe” saint here grants an edge or advantage. If it did, then why even bother asking mere humans to pray for us? Why did Paul encourage the believers to pray for him, his ministry, each other, etc.? Sounds like, if prayers to Saints was more advantageous, he would have rather encouraged that.....”
I am thinking that there weren’t too many canonized saints during the life of St. Paul....
I am wondering what you make of Romans 8:26-39 ? The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, for the prayers of the saints, and even more Jesus Christ intercedes for all.
Thanking you,
So it's not surprising that some would conclude that we peddle cheap magic. We have to live and to teach to counter-act by word and example the superstitious teaching of such folks.