Posted on 12/13/2013 7:47:42 AM PST by GonzoII
Pray (?), n. & v. See Pry. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Pray (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Prayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Praying.] [OE. preien, OF. preier, F. prier, L. precari, fr. prex, precis, a prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to ask, AS. frignan, frīnan, fricgan, G. fragen, Goth. fra\'a1hnan. Cf. Deprecate, Imprecate, Precarious.] To make request with earnestness or zeal, as for something desired; to make entreaty or supplication; to offer prayer to a deity or divine being as a religious act; specifically, to address the Supreme Being with adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving.
And to his goddess pitously he preyde. Chaucer.
When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matt. vi. 6.
I pray, ∨ (by ellipsis) Pray, I beg; I request; I entreat you; -- used in asking a question, making a request, introducing a petition, etc.; as, Pray, allow me to go.
I pray, sir. why am I beaten? Shak.
Syn. -- To entreat; supplicate; beg; implore; invoke; beseech; petition.
Pray, v. t.
1. To address earnest request to; to supplicate; to entreat; to implore; to beseech.
And as this earl was preyed, so did he. Chaucer.
We pray you . . . by ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor. v. 20.
2. To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
I know not how to pray your patience. Shak.
3. To effect or accomplish by praying; as, to pray a soul out of purgatory.
Milman.
To pray in aid. (Law) (a) To call in as a helper one who has an interest in the cause. Bacon. (b) A phrase often used to signify claiming the benefit of an argument. See under Aid.
Mozley & W.
PRAY, v.i. [L. precor; proco; this word belongs to the same family as preach and reproach; Heb. to bless, to reproach; rendered in Job 2.9, to curse; properly, to reproach, to rail at or upbraid. In Latin the word precor signifies to supplicate good or evil, and precis signifies a prayer and a curse. See Imprecate.]
PRAY, v.t. To supplicate; to entreat; to urge.
Acts 8.
[In most instances, this verb is transitive only by ellipsis. To pray God, is used for to pray to God; to pray a prohibition, is to pray for a prohibition, &c.]
To pray in aid, in law, is to call in for help one who has interest in the cause.
I didn't know St. Paul was an idol worshiper...how about that??!!
We ask the saints to pray for us.
Thank you Jesus, we can go right directly to the Father. As Jesus taught us.
Didn’t you post something very similar to this just a few days ago from Staples’ blog?
Using a phrase like “worshipping the saints” provides no insight or understanding. It is just one of many terms used like a weapon to attack, ridicule and divide people of faith.
When you can pray directly to God through Jesus, praying to dead mortals isn't worship; just a waste of time.
I suppose if you think that God is not capable of knowing your needs or hearing your prayers, you might feel the need to ask someone else.
You might be thinking about Statues.
We do not however worship saints. We ask for their intercession with ...Buehler...Buehler?
This only makes sense, to ask others to pray for us, does it not?
No priest, nun or brother I have encountered in 63 years being a Catholic has ever suggested we worship saints.
I didn't know St. Paul was an idol worshiper...how about that??!!
Wow! I didn't know that Paul was dead when he wrote 2 Corinthians!?!?
Intercessions of and Prayers to Dead Saints
“The ‘treasury of the Church’ ... is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God. ... This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immesne, unfathomable and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body. ... The union of the living with their brethren who have fallen asleep in Christ is not broken. ... Now that they are welcomed in their own country and at home with the Lord, through him, with him and in him they intercede unremittingly with the Father on our behalf, offering the merit they acquired on earth through Christ Jesus. ... Their brotherly care is the greatest help to our weakness” (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Apostolic Constitution on the Revision of Indulgences, chap. 2, 5, pp. 76,77).
“In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honoured with great respect the memory of the dead ... she has always venerated them, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the holy angels, with a special love, and has asked piously for the help of their intercession. ... When, then, we celebrate the eucharistic sacrifice [the Mass] we are most closely united to the worship of the heavenly Church; when in the fellowship of communion we honour and remember the glorious Mary ever virgin, St. Joseph, the holy apostles and martyrs and all the saints” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, chap. 8, I, 52,53; II, 59, pp. 375,377).
“Holy Mother Church is extremely concerned for the faithful departed. She has decided to intercede for them to the fullest extent in every Mass and abrogates every special privilege in this matter” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, chap. 8, V, Norms, 20, p. 87).
http://www.wayoflife.org/index_files/c72a4a4b83acc204f4f237bf25ec3792-215.html
Amen, brother!
The Holy Spirit speaking through St. Paul also told us to pray for one another:
1Th 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.
Here’s a novel idea. Use Jesus’ example. What “saints” did He pray to? Follow the Ten Commandments. Jesus did away with none of them. And before posting scripture as evidence use a Strongs. And go to the original Greek or Hebrew in Matthews case. The early church “fathers” incorporated
Some teachings that are found nowhere in scripture. The popes have made statements that indicate they consider themselves above and able to change scripture at their will. Google it.
No, he was alive just like we Catholics are.
I thought the saints in Christ were still sleeping unless of course we are in the last day.
If they are sleeping would they even hear us?
1Thess. has no relation to praying to dead sinners like you and I. Dead men and women cannot answer prayer even if they were to hear it.
The Thessalonian Church having been newly planted, the ministers were necessarily novices ( 1 Timothy 3:6 ), which may have been in part the cause of the people’s treating them with less respect. Paul’s practice seems to have been to ordain elders in every Church soon after its establishment ( Acts 14:23 ).
I believe you are correct. Thanks for clarifying.
It works for me!
All Christians are considered saints.
1 Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Ephesians 4:12
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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