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Dead.

Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

1 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.

2 It is the same for all, since the same event happens

to the righteous and the wicked,

to the good and the evil,

to the clean and the unclean,

to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.

As the good one is, so is the sinner, and

he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

I have often wondered about the dead as has everyone at one point or another. In the parable Jesus answers the question of speaking to the dead and the dead speaking to the living in verse 29.

“29 But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’”

Abraham does not say He will talk to the Lord about it. Why not? God speaks to us through His word given through the prophets and the apostles. As for the dead speaking, those before the throne do ask God how long it will be for Him to avenge their deaths (Rev 6) but shows that they are trusting Him to fulfill His word. They just wanted to know when (like the animals living under the curse waiting for the return of the King). Christians are to pray to the Father for His will to be done. We can ask for nothing more and nothing less. Imagining myself in His presence would I have to ask Him to help my living family? No, because He knows what to do before we do and the orders are given before things happen on earth. I think we are to pray now because now we are in the spiritual war. Satan is here and we are God’s soldiers. In heaven we are not in the war, we are being comforted.

I read the words of the rosary once but I pray according to what Jesus said to pray. I do add details, mainly names and thoughts of those suffering (search the internet for prayer requests and be prepared to be overwhelmed with the suffering), but I am praying to my Father, in the Name of His Son. I also talk to Him throughout the day.