Replies

"When Catholics say they are “praying” to God and “praying” to saints they are talking about qualitatively different things as different as a monkey is from a man. The Protestant generally only has one species in mind when he thinks of prayer—prayer to God that necessarily includes adoration. But one need only pick up a dictionary to discover there are in truth different definitions and therefore different usages of the same word, “prayer,” in English."

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)

Displaying 3 result(s) from the 1913 edition:

Pray (Page: 1125)

Pray (?), n. & v. See Pry. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Pray (Page: 1125)

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, fr&imacr;nan, 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 (Page: 1125)

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.

Displaying 1 result(s) from the 1828 edition:

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.]

1. To ask with earnestness or zeal, as for a favor, or for something desirable; to entreat; to supplicate.

Pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you. Matt.5.

2. To petition; to ask, as for a favor; as in application to a legislative body.

3. In worship, to address the Supreme Being with solemnity and reverence, with adoration, confession of sins, supplication for mercy, and thanksgiving for blessings received.

When thou prayest, enter into thy closet,and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Matt.6.

4. I pray, that is, I pray you tell me, or let me know, is a common mode of introducing a question.

PRAY, v.t. To supplicate; to entreat; to urge.

We pray you in Christ''s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor.5.

1. In worship, to supplicate; to implore; to ask with reverence and humility.

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.

Acts 8.

2. To petition. The plaintiff prays judgment of the court.

He that will have the benefit of this act, must pray a prohibition before a sentence in the ecclesiastical court.

3. To ask or intreat in ceremony or form.

Pray my colleague Antonius I may speak with him.

[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.

There are fewer "sad Christians" amongst those Catholics who implore sincere intercessory aid from the Saints, while AT THE SAME TIME, partake in the Church's Sacraments frequently. This from my 30-year "active" participation in the Roman Catholic Church... (and I'm stickin' to my study)!

Go on, those of you who doubt; hit the link; Saints are lots of fun to get to know. And they make for very good friendships too. http://jenniferfulwiler.com/saints/#.UquFGtJDtEM

I would like to know why at the mausoleum in the Catholic cemetery in which my parents are buried, on tables down each aisle of the burial walls there are hundreds of notes and cards written to the dead people as if they come out of the boxes at night and gather around and read them. Strange.

+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

I’m generally not in favor of government regulations and control, but like anyone I can clearly see that this YOPIOS cereal leads to mental disease and oughta be examined by the FDA scientists.

Define “worship”.