Does Asking The Saints For Intercession Diminish Christ's Importance?

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:01]and I'll move away from it.

[00:00:24]All right, welcome back for our third session in this series of uh catechism for the Catholics.

[00:00:37]Uh before we begin this uh talk, let's say a prayer.

[00:00:43]Okay. A very simple prayer which all of us we know. Hail Mary.

[00:00:49]In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit.

[00:00:54]>> Hail Mary full of grace. The lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary mother of God.

[00:01:06]Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death. Amen. the father, son, and the holy spirit.

[00:01:14]All right, just imagine you are in a prayer gra pray prayer gathering of a interdenominational prayer gathering and you as representative of the Catholic Church, you are there part of the committee and the so-called the gathering is for the unity, for the peace and for the need of the local community.

[00:01:41]And so it's your turn as a Catholic to say the opening prayer and you begin with a very simple prayer like I have started. Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you. Now mind you there are brothers and sister for mother denominational Christian denominations.

[00:02:06]The moment you started Hail Mary, imagine what happens.

[00:02:11]>> They know you're a Catholic.

[00:02:13]>> They know you are a Catholic. They will open your eyes.

[00:02:17]>> Oh, so they'll say, "Why is this person saying Hail Mary?"

[00:02:24]Some may some may listen but there will be some who will be not comfortable and lot of questions may cross their mind is that how come this person addressing Mary saying a prayer to Mary if that person is from a diff a Christian background tradition where they have been taught that only to God we can pray not to any other person.

[00:03:07]So the question sorry you can turn that side because you're sideways.

[00:03:44]You can see and so the lot of question in the mind of this person is that how can you pray to Mary? Prayer is only meant to be addressed to God.

[00:04:00]So the question is in their teaching from the whatever background they are coming is that there is only one mediator based on that scripture 1 Timothy 2:5 which says that there is only one mediator between God and man that is Jesus Christ and so see the objection they have is that how can a person address pray to Mary saints and so they reject this so-cal intercession of any person we can go directly to God and so that's what this is the some denomin passage which says that there is only one God between God and man between us God and us and Jesus Christ okay so there is one mediator. So there should not be any other mediator between God and us.

[00:05:03]So this is the question and this is the scripture that is there in their mind.

[00:05:08]It is their interpretation.

[00:05:10]All right? So nobody should be taking the place of Jesus. So by praying to saints and Mary and other saints, the Catholics are bypassing Jesus Christ the only mediator.

[00:05:29]You are diminishing the important of Jesus.

[00:05:35]So that's what in their mind is.

[00:05:38]So that's their objection.

[00:05:41]They don't accept any other mediator. So they feel that we are in a way equating saints Mary and other saints with in par with Jesus Christ. So that is not an understanding. So I will clarify that and so this is the scripture the foundation for them is to reject the intercession of the saints.

[00:06:08]So we will take up this topic one by one. So let's go further.

[00:06:12]So that's their objection.

[00:06:16]Okay. But our response, the Catholic response we say is that we agree Jesus is the the only mediator between God and us. There's no other mediator.

[00:06:31]He's the one who died for us on the cross. He opened the gate for us. So it is he is the only mediator.

[00:06:38]But then there is a problem with this interpretation. is that that when you say Jesus is the mediator is Jesus in a way is the mediationship of saint that we are asking the saint to pray whether Jesus shares his mediationship with the others that's the question he is the only mediator but that mediationship of Jesus is not exclusive it is inclusive so that I will prove it from the scripture.

[00:07:13]All right. So the question is valid that their rejection their understanding of so-cal not asking anybody else only praying directly to Jesus. Even we Catholic we pray to Jesus directly. We also ask saints and others to pray for us. But then their understanding is that their interpretation is that only to Jesus we don't ask we don't pray to others and all. So that's what the question. So we go further. All right. So that's what is what we need to understand is that why are they thinking that way? Because it is that mindset they have the whole understanding is that either you pray to God directly to Jesus to the spirit holy spirit or to God the father or you pray to Mary.

[00:08:08]Either the other the example I'm giving you is that either you accept Bible as a word of God or you accept the sacred tradition which the church believes in the word of God, written word of God and the oral word of God.

[00:08:22]So, so they put this one against another. So that's not understanding.

[00:08:28]The understanding is very clear. It is both Jesus and Mary.

[00:08:37]Jesus and saints we take both together and the sacred word of God the written word of God Bible yes but also what we call it we also need the tradition the oral word of God so it is not either or but it is both so that what it is so let's understand our so-called understanding of both is is it validated supported by the scripture and that's what it is. So we we will be breaking down this so-cal this talk in these three charges anti-atholic charges is that by praying to saints are we worshiping saints.

[00:09:31]So the Indian mind when you pray it is only to God you can't pray to anybody else besides God.

[00:09:42]So is it that by praying to Mary and the saints are we worshiping them? We know we are not worshiping them that let me explain to you from the scripture. All right. And the second one will be is that by praying and asking them to pray for us are we compromising the uniqueness of Jesus the mediationship of Jesus diminishing his importance and the third thing is all that so-called prayer that we are doing on the day one the last 2,000 years it just futile it's just waste of time by asking Mary to pray for us or saint to pray for us so I will cover these two three talk questions answer them one by one and so lot of concept concept will be cleared.

[00:10:38]It looks very simple. This topic looks very simple. A lot of people are not interested in so-called oh we know we believe we pray and all but but when we go deeper into this topic the lot of your concept will be cleared and I'm I'm excited to share with you something because it will help you and so that you can help others also right so let's take one topic at a time right Now I want to show you two images here.

[00:11:15]This is a normal image that we see in the Catholic church. Somebody praying asking the intercession of Mary.

[00:11:25]All right. Now the second image that is coming up.

[00:11:33]Have you seen any difference? What what is the difference in the first image? I go back to the first image.

[00:11:42]And the second image, yes.

[00:11:46]>> Yes. The second one was >> all right. Okay. So the first one is so called the she kneeling before the image of Mary the statue of Mary and the second this one.

[00:12:05]Now the statue of Jesus is there.

[00:12:07]The Mary is not God or God's but Jesus is God.

[00:12:14]The statue of Jesus.

[00:12:17]So for some people it is like the very fact that the same posture but the object of prayer is different.

[00:12:32]So when you ask them there's somebody who tells us that when you kneel before even there is a problem with the posture you can't kneel before the saints there will be somebody even in the Catholic church so this so-called the concept that I'm clarifying it will be a really a hell to a Catholic itself when then when they are asked question when the Catholics are ask question is that why are you praying to saints so like in defense they will try to explain no no no we are not praying we are just asking Mary to pray for us so they would don't want to use the word prayer because somebody will get offended and that's where the problem is we ourself are not very clear but the whole concept of prayer air and the whole idea of the meaning of the worship we pray to saints that's very clear but how to answer that when somebody a Catholic is asked somehow they go around here and there and then they are confused because they are not very clear so that's why we need to clarify when somebody says that You are worshiping the statues or saints. When you kneel before, when you pray to the saints, when you say worship, then you need to ask them the question, what is worship?

[00:14:23]When you ask them this question, what is worship?

[00:14:26]And they will try to answer this question. Oh, when I worship, I bow down. When I worship, I kneel down. I'm not asking you how you worship.

[00:14:39]I'm asking you to define what is the word worship means.

[00:14:46]>> Honor.

[00:14:49]What is worship?

[00:14:50]>> Honor.

[00:14:51]>> Honor.

[00:14:53]So that what it is. So need is to really understand this concept idea of worship.

[00:14:58]So sometime in their mind worship is to God alone. That's what the Catholic church is saying. We we are not worshiping Mary or saint anybody else only God.

[00:15:10]So then we need to also go to the root meaning of the word so-cal the worship.

[00:15:20]You know the old word the worship was used in a general understanding also used for the word human being also. It was a is defined as a word in the old old understanding of word worship is the condition of somebody of being honored of of of respect and that can be also to the human being sages magistrate king. So that was the old understanding of the word worship used if you remember this word was used also in the court.

[00:15:58]So that this word is used in addressing the judge your worship.

[00:16:04]So that was the old understanding but but that later it became restricted to God alone.

[00:16:13]This word worship only to God alone to the creator.

[00:16:18]So now we can't use the word worship for a human being for a saints. So the church is very clear is that when we use the word worship is only for God. So already in 787 the second council of Nika the church has already distinct differentiated the two words one for God and one for the saints.

[00:16:45]The letterria is a Latin word from taken from the Greek means adoration is only used for God.

[00:16:54]And for so-called saints the word is used was the call what is called proconessis or dullia Latin word doulia. And for Mary there is a special word the church use hyperdullia about the saints queen of all the saints. So distinction distinction was already made already in seven in 8th century by the church that so-called worship and adoration is only due to God and veneration and honor is only to saints and the the Mary and other now when we talk about the so-called the honor honor When you ask somebody to define the so-called worship, somebody said it's honor. Giving a highest form of honor. A simple definition of worship is giving a highest form of honor to God. We call it worship.

[00:18:05]All these are honor. Whether you give honor to the elders, you give honor to the saints or Mary or you give honor. So but that is a difference difference difference in honor that you give to God. So higher form of honor given to God is called adoration or worship.

[00:18:29]So it's a form of a honor but it's a kind of honor which is different from the honor given to the saints.

[00:18:39]So it is not you don't define so-called the worship by posture.

[00:18:45]Sometime posture can mislead you. The very fact that same posture is used to kneel before Mary or before saints you can also kneel before God.

[00:18:58]How do you know that you are worshiping?

[00:19:01]You're you are there before kneeling or praying or standing. At one point you have Mary before you or saints that's a veneration but you are praying but when you move Mary and bring so-called the blessed sacrament now it's a worship same posture whether you stand or seat or kneel the whole thing is the object of your worship object of your prayer who is it if it God. Object of a prayer is then you're worshiping.

[00:19:42]If the object of a prayer is saints Mary, then you are venerating.

[00:19:50]So veneration given to the saint given to the images.

[00:19:54]So now let me clarify something.

[00:19:58]When somebody says that when you pray to saints you are worshiing. So in their understanding prayer is only towards God. So we need to ask them define prayer. What is a prayer? Come on. What is a prayer?

[00:20:17]>> Conversation.

[00:20:18]>> Conversation. Talking.

[00:20:24]So when you stand before Mary or saints and you pray to saints, you're talking to them.

[00:20:31]That's a prayer.

[00:20:34]And so sometime Catholics are so confused. They try to go around here and then they no we are not praying to saints and we are not praying to Mary, we are just asking. So they just change the word. Now we are praying. And if you understand what is prayer is I am talking.

[00:20:52]I'm communicating. I'm asking.

[00:20:56]So this prayer also was used in the so-called legal document also while addressing or making a documents addressing to the judge whatever I appeal to you. I pray to you the word you prayer is used which means I request you.

[00:21:17]So this is what it is.

[00:21:20]We are not very clear the whole idea of prayer the whole idea of worship.

[00:21:28]So that has is there is a difference. So all worship is a prayer but not all prayer is worship.

[00:21:40]Got it? All worship and worship is only to God. That's a prayer.

[00:21:48]How you worship that's a different posture used right? All worship is prayer but not all prayers are worship. When you pray to saints that is not a worship.

[00:22:03]So that's what the whole thing is. We need to be clear and then when somebody says that oh you are worshiping saints and all that thing we are only worshiping God. And the classic example of the Catholic is the Eucharist.

[00:22:21]Look at the parts of the mass. We look at the prayers of the mass. The collet, the prayer, the priestess, the prayers addressed to the father through Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit.

[00:22:37]So the prayer is only to God. There is no Mary coming in. There is no saints name is coming there.

[00:22:44]the whole mass is a worship to God and in that so-called mass we have a different posture which sometime we sit we stand we kneel so sometime don't get confused because people outside that get confused because we kneel before Mary statue we pray to them they think it is now we need to help them and to understand them is that they need to correct or misunderstanding they have about our so-called belief system.

[00:23:24]So is that clear? So the whole idea about the prayer and the worship and the posture that what it is all right. So now it is very reasonable first before I go to the scripture it's very reasonable is that when you honor if we can honor people on this earth the fourth commandment is very clear honor your father and mother.

[00:23:49]So commandment is that asking us to honor at the wedding ceremony when the couple exchange their nuptial vows in good time bad time health and sickness I will honor you.

[00:24:03]So we address the so-called judges your honor and so on call. So so the people on earth on this earth we honor them.

[00:24:18]Is it not reasonable then to honor saints who are in heaven?

[00:24:24]If we can honor elders, we address people in the court honor and then we in the marriage vows, we honor one another and we as a so-called imperfect people can be honored. Why not saints in heaven honored?

[00:24:46]not worship, veneration, honor, respect.

[00:24:55]So that's very clear that it is a reasonable to give honor to saints if we are giving honor to the people on this earth.

[00:25:07]Let's go to the scripture.

[00:25:13]So honor given in the Catholic church to the saints and by the way with a light from the first century the church has been having this so-called practice of beliefs of asking their pray prayers of the saints asking them to pray for us and all that things so it's nothing new and so we are now I'm trying to show it from the scripture how very much we are scripture based the beliefs the practice of asking saints is very much scripture based Now let's go to this uh two scripture passage that I want to present to you like Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20 Paul writes to us for we are his workmanship created in Jesus Christ for good works.

[00:26:06]So we are God's workmanship, God's creation, God's beautiful creation works which God prepared before end that we should walk in them.

[00:26:19]So Paul is talking about the believers in Christ are God workmanship.

[00:26:27]So you didn't understand this is that God has created us his masterpiece. We are he works right so now there's another scripture passage by collision where Paul says that referring to Jesus is the image of the invisible God for in him all things were created in him and on earth and all things were created through him and for him.

[00:27:02]That means Jesus is the creator created. He created us. We are his workmanship. We are his masterpiece.

[00:27:14]And so to understand that this whole the image that is used in Greek it is called icon.

[00:27:21]So when we go back to the old Genesis story where God said I let us create them in our own image and likeness.

[00:27:30]So that's a reflection of God in each one of us.

[00:27:37]So reasonably the scripture is asking us to respect the creation of God, the masterpiece of God.

[00:27:47]By honoring the masterpiece, the works of God, you're honoring the creator. Let me give a very example, classic example.

[00:27:58]How so-called we praying to saints praising them is not offending God or not diminishing the importance of Jesus Christ. Imagine in this hall we are having an exhibition of a van gong the greatest painter is artwork is displayed and this van gong who's a artist is standing there in the corner and all his artwork is displayed everywhere and people are coming from far and beyond to because they have heard and they are coming and appreciating.

[00:28:37]So imagine few people instead of going around and appraising appreciating the painting they go straight to the creator Wongong the painter and tells him wow wow wow wow he knows that who has come who's gone to see his painting will he be happy if his painting is not admired or appreciated and straight away going to the painter The very fact that you are going around appreciating the creation of the creator, the masterpiece of the creator but appreciating the works of that creator is in a way indirectly appreciating the creator.

[00:29:29]So in that case if you are saying it is so reasonable to appreciate the works of that God the creator like this wong how much more we are appreciating the creation of God and one of the best masterpiece of God is Mary specially created by God that she could be the mother of Jesus Christ.

[00:29:59]And so the whole so-called devotion of the Catholic devotion toward the saints is very much scripture based very much reasonable is that so-cal praising them asking them to pray is not offending God is not diminishing the importance of Jesus the mediator.

[00:30:22]Now in fact we are enhancing his creation Mary the saint right there's another scripture passage where Hebrew talks about the author of the Hebrew letters or to the Hebrews talks about that he has an image of this so-called the saints are like on in the stadium cheering out encouraging the all those who are in the journey of the faith like all of us.

[00:31:03]They have lived their life on this earth and they were one like us. Went through a trials and troubles, difficulties.

[00:31:11]They have now victoriously gone there in the heaven. They are now supporting, encouraging, praying for us. A beautiful image in the scripture where Hebrews letter to the Hebrew tells us that the so-called saints are alive in heaven.

[00:31:34]Otherwise, what it doesn't make sense for our author of the letter of to the Hebrews to tell us that the so-called the believers who are dead and gone are now cheering us.

[00:31:47]So they are very much alive in heaven helping us, praying for us, interceding for us. And is it is it not right that we ask them help ask their help in our journey because they they they perfectly understand what we go through because they have gone through it.

[00:32:14]So then how in the church we show that love, veneration, honor to saints. We are not worshiping, we are showing honor because that's what the scripture tells us. That's what God wants us to show honor by the four ways.

[00:32:31]One of the ways is that showing by celebrating the liturggical commemorating the saints day. Every day there one change over the other. We are celebrating the more than 365 days we have there are more than that the days our saints are there.

[00:32:50]So we celebrate them we remember them and so this is soal celebration of the saints day is not renowned recent is from the first century onwards. So there is inscription in the catacomb and all the tomb there the first century where St. Paul and St. Peter pray for us already their beliefs were there already.

[00:33:11]So that's where it is. So the letters are written and all that. So people praying for them. So that it's the the death of a martyr is a birthday that we celebrate for them because their birthday their entry into heaven.

[00:33:29]That's one way we honor saints in the church in the liturgical and then also second one is by having these artworks or painting or statues.

[00:33:42]The people think that no we should not keep statues because whatever ideas they have is that we should worship God in spirit and truth. When somebody visits your house, how do you they know that you are a Catholic?

[00:33:55]>> But the very fact that you have a images of Jesus, Mary, saints, you you only have a Bible and that you have no altar, no statues. People will wonder whether you are a Catholic or not.

[00:34:12]So that's how we show honor. we respect by having images, statues.

[00:34:20]So all great painters artists and all the Michelangelo Leonardo Dwinci and all that the artwork it's expression of their faith through that work they did paint art sculpture and all that thing the painting that's what it is the faith that you have is express through that painting the church encourages us to have that by having that so-c calledled statues but get it blessed when you get the statue from the shop get it blessed by the church and the third thing we honor saints and Mary is by taking them as a model that's why we encourage the parents to give your child at the time of baptism saints name so they can model their life on the saints at the time of confirmation they can model their life and we have saint for all types of people all ages of people because model if we can think about so-called celebrities and earthly models and all that thing why can't we think about a spiritual model a mentor somebody who can really help us because they have gone through their life take their names And the fourth ways of honoring is that asking their prayers.

[00:35:52]By asking them to pray for us, you are honoring them. That's what God want.

[00:35:56]That's what church wants.

[00:36:00]These are the four ways the church honors. The church on its part does all this.

[00:36:09]The challenge is the question is whether you are following what the church is believing what the church is teaching and that's what it is when the very fact when the time of a baptism we are inserted into the faith of the church which church not any other church the Catholic one holy catholic apostolic church which means very fact that I'm baptized into the faith of the church I accept accept all the beliefs of the Catholic Church and so there are number of topics we Catholic beliefs is that that we will be dealing for example purgatory oh no I don't want to believe in the purgatory now it's a belief of the Catholic church come for this session and understand why the church believes and we also have to believe in the purgatory so that's what it is the different beliefs the Catholic church And all these beliefs are based on the scripture and also on the tradition and it is reasonable. So all right. So now we have finished the first part. So that the second two questions are remaining. The first part we have very clear. If we are not worshiping Mary we are honoring.

[00:37:25]We're not worshiping saints. We are honoring venerating respecting loving them.

[00:37:31]So second part is now by praying to saints are we compromising or diminishing the importance of Jesus.

[00:37:43]So that's the question we will answer.

[00:37:45]We know the answer is no. But let's go to the scripture and see what it is. So in the old testament we will see all the so-called mediator so-called imperfect mediator.

[00:37:58]Now if somebody has an objection of that so-called we are asking Mary and saint to be a mediator but that in the old testament that is already already a mediator.

[00:38:10]So the Moses and Abraham and all of them are praying on behalf of the other people at the the people and God answered their prayer and you see all the miracles that happened through their prayers and we we also know that they also made a mistake. They were not perfect being human being but the prayers were effective.

[00:38:38]How per how effective will be the prayers of the saints who are in very much in the presence of God and who are sinless who cannot sin now how effective how powerful it will be.

[00:38:50]So that's old testament.

[00:38:54]So there is so-called it is not diminishing the importance of Jesus.

[00:38:59]Jesus is the mediator and this how we will show how Jesus shares his mediationship with the saints with his believer.

[00:39:08]But now in the old testament these are mediator which are imperfect. But then comes a one perfect mediator Jesus Christ.

[00:39:19]So the old testament is a whole thing what we call it it's a shadow the thing that will happen in the new testament it's a foreshadow of something that will happen so so now the perfect mediator comes is Jesus Christ and these are the scripture passages that you'll see all those people in the old testament are interceding praying and god answers their prayers so now the perfect mediator is Jesus Christ who made a new covenant between God and us through his precious blood opened the gate for us.

[00:39:58]Now the question here is that so-called the perfect mediator Jesus Christ whether he shares his mediationship with us with us people on earth we are called saints on earth. So let me differentiate between the believers. We all St. Paul in his letters writes that we are Christian are called saints. So saints on earth and saints in heaven.

[00:40:28]So question here is that Jesus is the only mediator whether he shares his mediationship with us with others the saints on earth and saints in heaven and that's what we need to see. All right. Now remember the quotation which some of the brothers and sisters said that we are rejecting so-called devotion to saints praying to saints based on that one Timothy chapter 2 verse 5 there is one mediator between God and us and that mediator is Jesus Christ now when they quoted that one mediator but does that soal passage says that we cannot ask others to pray for us.

[00:41:15]So this is a classic example of taking passage out of context.

[00:41:23]Now if you read it in the context that passage 1 Timothy 2:5 you get a better understanding what Paul meant when he wrote that Jesus is the only bene. So I'm putting that whole passage for you to read.

[00:41:40]But that passage comes in between here is this Paul says that for first of all then I urge that supplication prayers intercession and thanksgiving be made for all. So he start with that.

[00:42:01]Paul starts with that saying the intercede pray for one another. He's not saying that go directly to God to Jesus Christ immediately. He ends with saying that Jesus is the mediator. But he begins that pray, support one another with prayer. Be a mediator.

[00:42:22]That's another way of putting it. Be a be an intercessor for king Paul who are in high position that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.

[00:42:38]This is good and it is acceptable in the sight of God our savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And then he goes on to say for there is one mediator between God and man the man Jesus Christ.

[00:42:54]You got it? Now when you take only the last passage you are distorting the meaning of the whole passage.

[00:43:06]So then you can argue saying no no the scripture it's the word of God it says that only Jesus the mediator you cannot bring any other mediator you cannot ask anybody else to pray intercede but Paul begins by telling us that ask others to pray for you you pray for them and that's what it is pray for the king and that's why in the church we have the prayers of faithful first we pray for a pope all those spiritual leaders then the political leaders the leaders of the country and for others. So we follow what the scripture says, praying for one another, interceding for one another.

[00:43:47]So these are the scripture passages very much there.

[00:43:53]Jesus is asking to pray for one another's forgive one another. Paul is telling us to pray for me, I pray for you. stiffen is when he has been stoned to death. He prays on behalf of the people who persecuting him, Lord forgive them.

[00:44:14]So these are the scripture passages in the New Testament.

[00:44:20]So the mediationship is shared and the believers, early church believers, they knew very well that what the church Jesus is the mediator. Yes.

[00:44:29]But he shares the mediationship.

[00:44:32]And so our so-called understanding of sharing of mediation which means our mediationship of the saints of all of us we are praying is dependent on the one mediator and it is subordinate to the primary mediator Jesus Christ that's how we understand on our own we have no power independent of Jesus no it has no power dependent and that's why all the prayer are made through Jesus Christ.

[00:45:06]What is that means? When you make a prayer, you end with saying through Jesus Christ.

[00:45:16]All these prayers we are passing it through Jesus Christ. So that's what it is. The scripture is very clear, the church believes is very clear and teaching is very clear.

[00:45:30]So when we we we we talk about the intercession we asking saint to pray for us we are praying for one another but the question is why do we need to pray for one another why do we need to ask saints is does the god does he not know what I my needs are god he knows before I could ask he knows my needs but why still we need to pray and ask others to pray for us, saints who pray for us and so-called praying for one another. It happens not only in the Catholic church but also in all the churches.

[00:46:08]For example, when you have a healing service when somebody's sick, definitely they will come to the pastor to the somebody who's a believer. The pastor or the believer will not say no go directly to Jesus to pray.

[00:46:23]You are becoming a mediator.

[00:46:26]You could ask that person who needs a job, who needs some has some needs, go directly to Jesus.

[00:46:33]But you still know that you can pray for him, for her.

[00:46:40]You can be a mediator and that mediator is coming from where? That is shared by Jesus Christ. And you finally pray and say through Jesus Christ. All the prayers are going through Jesus Christ to God the heavenly father.

[00:46:56]So that's what it is. The first reason is that why I need others to pray for me because I am weak in my spiritual life, weak in my prayer life.

[00:47:07]I need others who are very good in strong in prayer. So I know my weaknesses. I so I need the help of other person.

[00:47:16]So I show my so-cal I I I need my help from you.

[00:47:26]And that's the first reason that because of my weakness, I ask others to pray for me. The second reason that we are so-called praying and asking somebody I am praying to God directly. We are going directly to Jesus the mediator to God.

[00:47:41]But we are also asking others because the whatever prayers that I need is so important for me and for my life or for my family. I'm asking others please support me.

[00:47:56]with this so-called intention that I want God to bless me.

[00:48:01]So that's the power of the intercession.

[00:48:04]And the third reason why we should ask Mary saints all you saints on this earth because Jesus tells us to pray to ask others because he says in Matthew where two of you agree on this earth I will grant them their intention. So it's a promise of Jesus Christ based on his words. I ask some of you I ask saints in heaven to pray for me.

[00:48:39]So the so-called the belief the practice of the Catholics devotion to the saints is nothing out of the scripture unreasonable very much in line with the scripture.

[00:48:52]So now we have understood that we asking that mediationship of Jesus Christ are shared for the saints in on earth cuz everybody somebody will say oh now we we can see all of you so it's okay to ask you to pray for us but what about the saints in heaven they are they are dead and gone we do not know whether they are alive or not where are they we do not know so that's again the same question comes Once again whether the prayers are effective or whether our prayers are waste of time or not. So let's go to the scripture. So it's so the question here is it is reasonable is that if you can ask the saints on earth to pray for us and the saints on earth this all all of us are imperfect and liable to sin and we commit sin. We are sinners and yet we pray how much effective it will be to ask saints who are in heaven without sin perfect in the presence of God how effective it will be so it is very reasonable to ask them we know that they are in the presence of God so that's what it is so without sin so that's what all right now when in the scripture it is mentioned that the saints in heaven Men are praying interc this is a very powerful scriptures in the old testament and the new testament the old testament too jeremiah and makabus the mechabus is one of the seven books which the protestant have rejected they don't consider the seven books makabus one of it it's a inspired word of god so when I come to that talk on the scripture you will get a clear understanding Why the church considered the seven books as the inspired word of God and they made a mistake by not including the seven books in the canon in the list of book Bible books in the Bible. So now this is what Jeremiah and Mcabes talks about people who are already there in heaven and it is mentioned that they are in a position to pray other it doesn't make sense to talk about somebody who dead and gone and refer them as if like it is now they can pray it doesn't make sense the scripture is very clear that's the old testament now come to the new testament It's very clear in Luke the parable of Jesus and Jesus the God himself gives a parable of Lazarus and the rich man there both are dead and gone. Now there is a conversation happening and so the dead man that the rich man is is in Hades that is hell addressing to Abraham and addressing Abraham as a father please if they are dead and gone if we have no connection with them then why did Jesus the God who had to mention this in the parable.

[00:52:02]So they are alive. Abraham is alive.

[00:52:06]And then the last book of the Bible, Revelation talks about all those so-called 24 elders offering incense.

[00:52:13]Incense is symbolic of prayer.

[00:52:16]All the prayers of the those saints on earth offering it through the saints are offered to God. Prayers on our behalf.

[00:52:24]So old testament is very clear and the people who are dead and gone, they are alive. They can pray, they can intercede, we can communicate. And the New Testament is very clear. Two passages that's what it is.

[00:52:38]We come to the last point here.

[00:52:41]So the so-cal our beliefs in asking the saints to pray for us is very much in harmony with all the truth. The three truths I mentioned.

[00:52:52]The one is that so-called the image which Jesus speaks about the the wine and the branches.

[00:52:58]And we believe the church on earth is called militant church. Militant church.

[00:53:05]Church is heaven is called triumphant church. And church in purgatory is called the suffering church.

[00:53:12]So you also we also celebrate is November 1st November 1st the all saints day communion of saints and the souls all souls on 2nd of November all souls day. So these are all communion of saints. Whether you are on this earth or in heaven in purgatory, we are still in communion with one another.

[00:53:34]So that's the whole image of communion of saints. The wine and the branches.

[00:53:39]The second one is what about the mystical body? Jesus talks about Paul talks about we are one body different parts unity and diversity wherever we are.

[00:53:53]So the third truth is all that that even if these people have dead and gone. If you say that we have no communication with the people who are dead and gone which mean you have not understood the scripture where Jesus says I have conquered death and scripture very clear those who are dead and gone. We can also scripture talks about that they are alive. Lazarus shows address the prayers to Abraham. Abraham is alive and the transfiguration story transfiguration would do we see that Jesus Old Testament figures.

[00:54:31]>> Yeah.

[00:54:33]>> And Peter and John they see on these Old Testament figures Moses and Elijah if they are dead and gone why should they appear to Jesus along with Jesus. So scripture is very clear that those people who are there in gone are alive very much in the presence of God.

[00:54:54]So finally pray to saints is justified.

[00:55:07]It is not something wrong or unreasonable scripture based. It's very traditional from the tradition and from the scripture. Our so-cal our beliefs are very much in line in harmony with the scripture with the tradition. And so we know whom we are praying and so it is we know they are in the presence of God.

[00:55:24]They're very much alive and their prayers are very effective more effective than all of us because we are still liable to sin. We sin we are not perfect. They are very much perfect in the of God and then finally the what do we call it they love us like letter to the Hebrew tells us that they are cheering us and all that thing and finally this is a beautiful powerful quote from St. Dominic, it says, "I do not weep for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life."

[00:56:11]St. Dominic, so thank you for being here. So next talk will be very interesting especially for those who still have a problem of having images and thinking and some been influenced by so-called other Christian that having an image is idol and I'll clarify in the next talk again there in the next talk you will lot of concept will be cleared and you'll come to know more about the Catholic faith uh this is beautiful teachings and some of the insight with the church gives us through the different document teaching I'll present to you next week.

[00:56:54]So the topic will be so-called the images. Why do we have the images in the house in the churches? All right.

[00:57:03]Thank you and God bless you.

[00:57:09]Any question.