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LOL! I can see how endearing that would be from Jesus' point of view: "Dear Jesus, I'm not on speaking terms with your mother just now, OK? So please, nothing personal, tell her to butt out, would'ja?"

Sorry mrs. don-o but Jesus never commanded or taught us to be on speaking terms with His mother. Now His Father is another story....

That is an interesting thought. Really.

It raises the question of why we do ask others to pray for us. It's like we really don't think that God will answer our prayers Himself, like He promised.

I know I struggled with that for years; thinking that God will answer the prayers of others instead of mine, before mine, whatever. I prayed out of obedience, but not in faith that God would come through like He said He would when it was just me praying. I guess I thought that he didn't consider me significant enough, or good enough, or whatever enough to be worth paying attention to as an individual. Part of the group, yeah, but just me. Not so much.

I've come to realize what a slap in the face of God that is.

I will post Scripture in another post so as not to make this one too long.

We address the Angels and Archangels and ask them to join us in praise in all Masses. I am realizing it would be hard to get an antiseptically isolated prayer here, even for experimental purposes.

But why go to them instead of God? Do you think God will listen better to someone else? Or the more the merrier? You do realize that time you spend praying to someone else is time not spent praying to God, don't you?

How do you get to know your best friend? BY spending time with her, or her mother, her husband, her children, her other friends? Maybe you can learn more ABOUT her, but you don't get to know her through the intimacy taht being with her and speaking with her , and spending time with her alone will do.

Some time ago, I was praying for a job for my son. I was thinking of asking a friend to pray also and as I was talking to God about it, He said, *No! Do not ask so and so.* I was really taken aback. He continued and told me that He wanted me to know that HE would answer MY prayers Himself.

So I did. And He did. I didn't tell another soul or ask anyone else to pray for it. But what a boost to my faith that was.

Do you think those in heaven aren't already aware of the abortion issue (presuming they know what's going on down here anyway) and if they are praying for us, do you think that they aren't already praying for the abortion issue?

The best thing that's happened to me in the last couple years is getting out of the churchianity box. Challenging the assumptions I was making and taking chances I would not have taken before.

When we stretch ourselves, God will meet us. When we are at the end of ourselves, it's the beginning of seeing the awesome and amazing things God can do.

I've come to love asking God for the impossible, or even the possible and letting HIM decide how to do it. It's often the answer that would NEVER have occurred to me.

For a month? Yeesh.

Yeah, for a month. I dare you.

Metmom, I understand that your message here is personal and from the heart. And I appreciate that, most especially on a forum that so often degenerates into irate, impersonal cut-and-paste polemics. So I bless you for your good thoughts.

Both of us know that God doesn't "need" prayers in order to shape up His priorities list, or to nag Him into getting on the job. He doesn't "need" to hear from everybody on a FR prayer ping list; He doesn't "need" me to ask you, or my husband, or the Blessed Virgin Mary for intercession; He doesn't need me! He knows my thoughts before I do!

I believe He has commanded us to pray, for our own good; and to pray for others, for that good, multiplied.

The truth I have before me always, is this: (1 Corinthians 12:27) "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." We are--- as ST. Paul says --- the limbs and senses of Christ on this earth: we are His cells, tissues, organs and systems.

That means we're always in effective and vital contact with each other, with the other parts of His Body, no matter how distant they may be from us in time and space, in heaven and on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:21) "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don’t need you!'"

Can I say, then, "I don't need you" to those righteous people whose prayers, St. James says, are "powerful and effective"?

Or do the prayers of the saints on earth become in effective when they become saints in Heaven? That can't be. St. John says that in Heaven, the angels intercede by bringing our prayers to God: (Revelation 8:3): " Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne."

So, does God "need" angels to bring Him the prayers of people on earth? No. But to do it this way, glorifies Him, as all of His loved ones join together by loving one another in prayer. Paul says: " (2 Corinthians 1:11} Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

So, dear metmom, as God is glorified when everyone in His Body is praying constantly for each other, I commit myself to pray always with and for and through the intercession of these righteous people. Their prayers availeth much.

Blessed Virgn Mary, pray for us! All you angels and saints, pray for us!

Metmom, pray for us! Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.