JOB 33:21 His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out. JOB 33:22 His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death. JOB 33:23 "Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, JOB 33:24 to be gracious to him and say, Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him'-- JOB 33:25 then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth . JOB 33:26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy, he is restored by God to his righteous state.
Here we have an example of an Angel acting as a mediator for a man who is about to die from sickness and sin and yet by the Angels mediation the man is restored to his health and his righteous state. By virtue of the Angels persuading intercessory prayer to God to have mercy on the man, the man was spared death. Contrast this to Jeremiah:
JER 15:1 Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!
Here we have God being very angry at Israel because of idolatry and God says that even if Moses and Samuel were to make intercession before his very throne he would not grant their request. Now this example is in the negative but it clearly shows that departed saints go before the very throne of God and make intercessory prayer for those of us on earth.
Looking at the Second Book of Maccabees we find an even more explicit example of intercession by departed and glorified Saints:
2 Maccabees 15:11 When he had armed each of them, not so much with the safety of shield and spear as with the encouragement of noble words, he cheered them all by relating a dream, a kind of vision, worthy of belief. 12 What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in appearance, gentle in manners, distinguished in speech, and trained from childhood in every virtuous practice, was praying with outstretched arms for the whole Jewish community. 13 Then in the same way another man appeared, distinguished by his white hair and dignity, and with an air about him of extraordinary, majestic authority. 14 Onias then said of him, "This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy city." 15 Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a gold sword to Judas. As he gave it to him he said, 16 "Accept this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your adversaries."
This passage of Scripture clearly shows us that departed Saints make intercession for those of us on earth who live their life in faith. If you will recall my previous Scripture citation of Matthew 22 where Jesus said at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven....
Jesus said glorified Saints will be like the Angels in Heaven and Angels are ministering spirits to those of us on earth!
HEB 1:14 ?Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation??
Jesus said that those who die in Christ are transformed and will be like the Angels in heaven and that implies glorified and perfected heavenly Saints (the "spirits of just men made perfect" Hebrews 12:22-24) will like Angels be ministering spirits to the people of God on earth struggling in this life. The difference between Angels and glorified Saints is that the Saints in Heaven lived out their earthly lives through all the trials and tribulations, having their faith tested as gold is tested and purified by fire (1 Peter 1:6-9; 1 Cor 3:12-15).
The Saints in Heaven can perfectly relate to our struggles on earth and by virtue of that experience and knowledge they make perfect intercession before the very throne of God on our behalf. That is the very reason why we have Patron Saints such as Saint Joseph the Patron Saint of workers, Fathers, and husbands. A carpenter or an aircraft mechanic struggling in his skills or the fear of losing his job or a business may petition Saint Joseph who perfectly understands and can relate to this struggle and fear and can take that prayer to the very throne of God and -- just like the Angel in Job -- make perfect intercessory prayer to restore the man back to his health and save his life.
?And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.? (James 5:15-16 KJV).
This is exactly how God has designed his Kingdom so that not only are we dependent on God but also on each other and especially those glorified saints who have departed the earth to receive their eternal inheritance and rewards.
So then why does Saint Paul write to Timothy that there is only One mediator between God and man who is Jesus? The answer is because Jesus mediation role is unique as Jesus was the Lamb of God whose very sacrifice reconciled man back to God satisfying the penalty of eternal damnation sin brings. Such a supreme sacrifice has poured out the grace of God upon all flesh enabling us to receive mercy and grace from God so that we can grow in virtue and holiness through Christ. The mediation role of Saints is between man and Christ to keep us strong in Christ during the trials and tribulations we will have on earth.
The Apostle Paul warns us:
1CO 10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
1CO 10:6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel.
1CO 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Even though Christ Jesus has bridged the gap for man to be reconciled to God and even though God gives us the grace to be strong, we ourselves are responsible for what we do with grace, we must cooperate with grace and that is a free will choice. God said that when we are greatly tempted he will make a way for us to escape; that way is through the intercession of the heavenly Saints as well as Angels who are ministering spirits for those of us who are destined and striving to finish the race laid out before us so that we may receive the crown of eternal life (2 Tim 4:8; James 1:12).
We who are struggling against the principalities and powers of dark forces in the heavenly realm must put on the full armor of God but that armor only covers the front, therefore it is the vital prayers of the Saints that cover our backs (Ephesians 6:11-18).
Without the help of Angels and Saints God has given us we may not even have the strength to put on the armor of God! The Devil?s battleground is the mind and it is there that he will try and destroy us. Without the prayers of the Saints we can so easily become weak and emotionally defeated but God knew this and designed his kingdom so that we would have a great deal of help available to us from Heaven.
Fundamentalists may argue that Jesus is all we need and yet the Fundamentalist has to admit that God has created and given us Angels. Therefore this argument falls flat, as such it could be implied that God doesn?t need the help of Angels either. Since we know God has created Angelic beings to be ministering spirits to those of us who shall inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), conversely we also know he has rewarded those who have received the crown of life with authority and power (Wisdom 3:1-9; Rev 12:1) and now are sharing in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) to help those not yet perfected saints on earth who continue to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
This is one of the very reasons why Moses and Elijah appeared before Jesus and the Apostles. Jesus received aid from heaven from both Angels and Saints sent by his Father, and we have that same help available to us from God our Father. The Father loves his Son and Jesus said that the love he received from the Father to take care of Him is also in us (John 17:26) ! If you are a Fundamentalist, an Evangelical, or a Reformed believer you may still be resisting my clear Scriptural case but the Bible teaches us exactly what I am saying. Let us look at the book of Hebrews which perfectly reflects and confirms everything I have presented in my case:
HEB 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
This passage in Hebrews clearly sums up my case by confirming and telling us that we can come to not only Jesus in prayer but to Angels and the Spirit of Righteous Men made perfect which is the glorified Saints in heaven. This passage of Scripture flies in the face of the arguments Fundamentalists may make as a last ditch effort to say that praying to anyone else other than God is worshipping another being. However, one has to just look back at Matthew 17:3 and we see Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah. If praying to the Blessed Mother Mary or to any other Saint constitutes worship then Jesus himself would have been worshipping Moses and Elijah. But the truth is that all Angels and Saints direct worship toward God and they themselves are servants of God. They have been rewarded with eternal treasures which includes ruling over nations and tongues by virtue of the power and grace which God has rewarded them. Consider this Scripture from the book of Wisdom:
Wisdom 3:1 But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. 2 They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction 3 and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. 4 For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; 5 Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. 6 As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.7 In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; 8 They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. 9 Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect.
So now we see that as part of their eternal reward in heaven Saints are perfected and glorified and are given nations to judge and rule over just like the Prophet Jeremiah was given power to rule over and intercede for Israel in Second Maccabees.
Jesus spoke of the Vine and the Branches representing the one body of Christ:
JN 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Explicitly this verse is speaking of our earthly journey but implicitly this verse tells us that we are never separated from the vine once we experience a physical death, we forever remain part of the vine. If glorified Saints are the branches of that vine and we who remain in Christ on earth are part of that vine then we are all intimately connected together from heaven to earth. By virtue of that intimate connection we have the sacred and divine rite and privilege to receive help from our brothers and sisters who have finished the race and received the crown of eternal life. They are still part of the vine which we ourselves are attached.
Finally my brothers and sisters in Christ, as the writer of Hebrews says,
?...since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.? (Hebrews 12:1)
God has given us a great heavenly host to help us on our earthly journey. To call on them for help and prayer is not only showing our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ but their love for us! And that reflects an even greater glory, love, and worship to God who rewards those ahead of us to enable us to be rewarded ourselves as we draw from the heavenly host the help needed to finish the race laid out before us and endure to the end (Matthew 24:9-14).
In closing, let us examine the Apostle Paul?s Epistle to the Corinthians:
1CO 13:8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
Clearly we can see this verse refers to our perfection in heaven, there is perfect love which is shown in the mercy of prayer and aid from the glorified and perfected Saints. God has not left us as orphans and when our family members die in Christ they are still with us praying for us and eager to receive our prayer request to take to the very throne of God. Love never stops, even on the other side of eternity we cannot be separated from God or our departed loved ones, for those who have gone on in glory shall forever remain connected to the Vine which is Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
The earliest Christian believers and ecclesiastical writers certainly believed in the Catholic doctrine of the communion and intercession of the Saints and Angels in heaven:
New Testament
Matt. 5:44-45 - Jesus tells us to pray for (to mediate on behalf of) those who persecute us. God instructs us to mediate.
Matt. 17:1-3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30-31 ? deceased Moses and Elijah appear at the Transfiguration to converse with Jesus in the presence of Peter, James and John (these may be the two ?witnesses? John refers to in Rev. 11:3). Nothing in Scripture ever suggests that God abhors or cuts off communication between the living in heaven and the living on earth. To the contrary, God encourages communication within the communion of saints. Moses and Elijah?s appearance on earth also teach us that the saints in heaven have capabilities that far surpass our limitations on earth.
Matt. 26:53 ? Jesus says He can call upon the assistance of twelve legions of angels. If Jesus said He could ask for the assistance of angel saints, then so can we, who are called to imitate Jesus in word and in deed. And, in Matt. 22:30, Jesus says we will be ?like angels in heaven.? This means human saints (like the angel saints) can be called upon to assist people on earth. God allows and encourages this interaction between his family members.
Matt. 27:47,49; Mark 15:35-36 ? the people believe that Jesus calls on Elijah for his intercession, and waits to see if Elijah would come to save Jesus on the cross.
Matt. 27:52-53 - at Jesus' passion, many saints were raised and went into the city to appear and presumably interact with the people, just as Jesus did after His resurrection.
Mark 11:24 - Jesus says that whatever we ask in prayer, we will receive it. It is Jesus, and also we through Jesus, who mediate.
John 2:3 - Jesus knew the wine was gone, but invites and responds to Mary's intercession. God desires our lesser mediation and responds to it because He is a living and loving God.
John 2:5 - Mary intercedes on behalf of those at the wedding feast and tells them to do whatever Jesus tells them. Because Mary is our perfect model of faith, we too intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters.
John 2:11 - in fact, it was Mary's intercession that started Jesus' ministry. His hour had not yet come, yet Jesus responds to Mary's intercession. Even though He could do it all by Himself, God wants to work with His children.
Acts 12:7 ? an angel strikes Peter on the side and wakes him up, freeing him from prison. The angel responds to Peter?s prayers.
Rom. 15:30 - Paul commands the family of God to pray for him. If we are united together in the one body of Christ, we can help each other.
2 Cor. 1:11 - Paul even suggests that the more prayers and the more people who pray, the merrier! Prayer is even more effective when united with other's prayers.
2 Cor. 9:14 - Paul says that the earthly saints pray for the Corinthians. They are subordinate mediators in Christ.
2 Cor. 13:7,9 - Paul says the elders pray that the Corinthians may do right and improve. They participate in Christ's mediation.
Gal. 6:2,10 - Paul charges us to bear one another's burdens, and to do good to all, especially those in the household of faith.
Eph. 6:18 - Paul commands the family of God to pray for each other.
Eph. 6:19 - Paul commands that the Ephesians pray for him. If there is only one mediator, why would Paul ask for their prayers?
Phil. 1:19 - Paul acknowledges power of Philippians' earthly intercession. He will be delivered by their prayers and the Holy Spirit.
Col. 1:3 - Paul says that he and the elders pray for the Colossians. They are subordinate mediators in the body of Christ.
Col. 1:9 - Paul says that he and the elders have not ceased to pray for the Colossians, and that, by interceding, they may gain wisdom.
Col. 4:4 - Paul commands the Colossians to pray for the elders of the Church so that God may open a door for the word. Why doesn't Paul just leave it up to God? Because subordinate mediation is acceptable and pleasing to God, and brings about change in the world. This is as mysterious as the Incarnation, but it is true.
1 Thess. 5:11 - Paul charges us to encourage one another and build one another up, in the body of Christ. We do this as mediators in Christ.
1 Thess. 5:17 - Paul says "pray constantly." If Jesus' role as mediator does not apply subordinately to us, why pray at all?
1 Thess. 5:25 - Paul commands the family of God to pray for the elders of the Church. He desires our subordinate mediation.
2 Thess. 1:11 - Paul tells the family of God that he prays for us. We participate in Christ's mediation because Christ desires this.
2 Thess. 3:1 - Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for Him, Silvanus and Timothy so that they may be delivered.
1 Tim. 2:1-3 - Paul commands us to pray for all. Paul also states that these prayers are acceptable in the sight of God.
2 Tim. 1:3 ? Paul says ?I remember you constantly in my prayers.?
Philemon 22 - Paul is hoping through Philemon's intercession that he may be able to be with Philemon.
Heb. 1:14 ? the author writes, ?Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation??
Hebrews 13:18-19 - the author strongly urges the Hebrews to pray for the elders so that they act desirably in all things.
James 5:14-15- James says the prayer of the priests over the sick man will save the sick man and forgive his sins. This is a powerful example of men forgiving sins and bringing a person to salvation with the sacrament of the sick.
James 5:16 - James instructs us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another so that we may be healed.
James 5:17-18 - James refers to God's response to Elijah's fervent prayer for no rain. He is teaching us about the effectiveness of our earthly mediation.
1 John 5:14-15 - John is confident that God will grant us anything we ask of God according to His will.
1 John 5:16-17 - our prayers for others even calls God to give life to them and keep them from sinning. Our God is a personal and living God who responds to our prayers.
3 John 2 - John prays for Gaius' health and thus acts as a subordinate mediator.
Rev. 1:4 ? this verse shows that angels (here, the seven spirits) give grace and peace. Because grace and peace only come from God, the angels are acting as mediators for God.
Rev. 5:8 - the prayers of the saints (on heaven and earth) are presented to God by the angels and saints in heaven. This shows that the saints intercede on our behalf before God, and it also demonstrates that our prayers on earth are united with their prayers in heaven. (The ?24 elders? are said to refer to the people of God ? perhaps the 12 tribes and 12 apostles - and the ?four living creatures? are said to refer to the angels.)
Rev. 6:9-11 ? the martyred saints in heaven cry out in a loud voice to God to avenge their blood ?on those who dwell upon the earth.? These are ?imprecatory prayers,? which are pleas for God?s judgment (see similar prayers in Psalm 35:1; 59:1-17; 139:19; Jer. 11:20; 15:15; 18:19; Zech.1:12-13). This means that the saints in heaven are praying for those on earth, and God answers their prayers (Rev. 8:1-5). We, therefore, ask for their intercession and protection.
Rev. 8:3-4 ? in heaven an angel mingles incense with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne of God, and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. These prayers ?rise up? before God and elicit various kinds of earthly activity. God responds to his children?s requests, whether made by his children on earth or in heaven.
Old Testament
Gen. 20:17 - God responds to Abraham's intercession and heals Abimelech, and also his wife and slaves.
Gen. 27:29; Num. 24:9 - blessed be everyone who blesses you. If we bless others in prayer, we are also blessed.
Exodus 32:11-14, 30-34; 34:9; Num. 14:17-20; 21:7-9 - these are many examples of God's response to Moses' saintly intercession.
1 Sam. 12:23 - Samuel says that he would be sinning against God if he didn't continue to intercede for the people of Israel.
1 Sam. 28:7-20 ? the deceased prophet Samuel appears and converses with Saul, which is confirmed by Sirach 46:13,20).
1 Sam. 28:7; 1 Chron. 10:13-14 - Saul practiced necromancy. He used a medium, not God, to seek the dead and was therefore condemned. Saul's practice is entirely at odds with the Catholic understanding of saintly mediation, where God is the source and channel of all communication, and who permits His children to participate in this power.
2 Chron. 30:27 - the prayers of the priests and Levites came before God's holy habitation in heaven and were answered.
Tobit 12:12,15 - angels place Tobit and Sarah's prayers before the Holy One. This teaches us that the angels are also our subordinate mediators. We pray to the angels to take up our prayers to God.
Job 42:7-9 - Job prayed for three friends in sin and God listened to Job as a result of these prayers.
Psalm 34:7 ? the angel of the Lord delivers those who fear him.
Psalm 91:11 ? God will give His angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 103:20-21; 148:1-2 ? we praise the angels and ask for their assistance in doing God?s will.
Psalm 141:2 - David asks that his prayer be counted as incense before God. The prayers of the saints have powerful effects.
Isaiah 6:6-7 - an angel touches Isaiah's lips and declares that his sin is forgiven. The angel is a subordinate mediator of God who effects the forgiveness of sins on God?s behalf.
Jer. 7:16 - God acknowledges the people's ability to intercede, but refuses to answer due to the hardness of heart.
Jer. 15:1 ? the Lord acknowledges the intercessory power of Moses and Samuel.
Jer. 37:3 - king Zedekiah sends messengers to ask Jeremiah to intercede for the people, that he might pray to God for them.
Jer. 42:1-6 - all the people of Israel went before Jeremiah asking for his intercession, that he would pray to the Lord for them.
Baruch 3:4 - Baruch asks the Lord to hear the prayers of the dead of Israel. They can intercede on behalf of the people of God.
Dan. 9:20-23 - Daniel intercedes on behalf of the people of Israel confessing both his sins and the sins of the people before God.
Zech. 1:12-13 - an angel intercedes for those in Judea and God responds favorably.
2 Macc. 15:12-16 ? the high priest Onias and the prophet Jeremiah were deceased for centuries, and yet interact with the living Judas Maccabeas and pray for the holy people on earth.
Shaila Touchton's Despite of Differences, Come Unity in Jesus Christ!
Showing posts with label venerate saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label venerate saints. Show all posts
The Bibe teaches us to pray and venerate saints!
Protestants, who claim to be obedient to Scripture, are the first ones to level these accusations against Catholics, not without a Bible quote or two, which seem to back them up, but little do they realize that the Bible actually teaches that we should pray to and venerate saints.
God uses His angels as messengers
1 Chronicles 21:18: “And the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David…”
4 Kings 1:3: “And an angel of the Lord spoke to Elias the Thesbite, saying…”
Acts 8:26: “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying…”
Throughout the Bible God uses His angels to deliver messages, to give instructions, to deliver justice and to answer prayers.
Numbers 20:16: “And how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt…”
Isaias 37:36: “And the angel of the Lord went out, and slew in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand…”
God answers prayers by sending angels, and this is so frequent and natural that not only are they sent by God, but they are also besought and entreated by men.
Judges 6:12-13: “The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with thee, O most valiant of men. And Gedeon said to him: I beseech thee, my lord, if the Lord be with us, why have these evils fallen upon us?”
Angles can be prayed to
Osee 12:3-4: “In the womb he supplanted his brother: and by his strength he had success with an angel. And he prevailed over the angel, and was strengthened: he wept, and made supplication to him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us.”
Not because they are God, of course, but because they are powerful supernatural servants of God.
St. Luke 1:10-13: “And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense. And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
The angel heard the prayer and responded.
How does this relate to saints?
Matthew 22:29-32: "And Jesus answering, said to them: You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven. And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
St. Luke 20:34-36: “And Jesus said to them: The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they that shall be accounted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead, shall neither be married, nor take wives. Neither can they die any more: for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”
Saints in heaven are as the angels. Do angels mete out God’s justice? Yes. Answer prayers on behalf of God? Yes. Receive supplication and prayer? Yes. Therefore the saints of Jesus do all of those things. Now that we have made the link between angels and saints, we need to consider a few more things in this regard. The intercession angels, on behalf of God, is extraordinarily powerful and effective. They transmit the message of the Almighty so frequently that in many passages it is not clear if the angel is speaking or if God is speaking.
Zacharias 12:8: “In that day shall the Lord protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that hath offended among them in that day shall be as David: and the house of David, as that of God, as an angel of the Lord in their sight.”
St. Luke 2:9: “And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.”
The Bible shows us the importance of the witness of angels and saints.
St. Luke 12:8-9: “And I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. But he that shall deny me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.”
Jesus considers His confession before angels to be very significant, much like His confession to His Father (Matthew 10:32).
St. Luke 15:10: “So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.”
Angles have a connection with and influence over the salvation of men. They rejoice when a man converts because their intercession assits his conversion. They cheer him, they help him and intercede for him. That’s why Catholics understand the intercession of saints to be so important. Saints in heaven are as the angels of God, they are intimately involved in man’s salvation under Jesus Christ. When one prays to them, they in turn pray to God who commonly grants His graces on their behalf and because of their close relationship with Him. The Bible also teaches that angels are present in the assemblies of the faithful.
1 Corinthians 11:10: Therefore ought the woman to have a power (head covering) over her head, because of the angels.
This verse tells us that because of the angels, not God, the woman should cover her head. Veneration is also due to angels, since they are the worthy servants of God almighty.
Jesus described St. John the Baptist as an angel.
St Matthew 11:9-10: “But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.”
In Hebrews we find a description of the Church of Jesus Christ and its heavenly majesty. Notice that the Christian coming before the heavenly description of the Church, comes before the spirits of the just men made perfect, the saints in heaven. The Christian is warned before about coming before all of the following:
Hebrews 12:22-23: "But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect"
Prayers to them are Biblical and of tremendous value, since God is glorified and not detracted by His saints.
2 Thessalonians 1:10: “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be made wonderful in all them who have believed; because our testimony was believed upon you in that day.”
As we see, Saints do not diminish God’s glory, they augment it. Those who are closest to the king can gain favours that are not always given to those who are further away from him. Just like in any other hierarchy, family, company team, etc.
The communion of saints
This is the true and Catholic view of heaven. To use an analogy, it’s like the magnificent palace of the king where there are dozens of levels of servants, assistants and attendants. Each level is full of them, they wait on the king and they have dedicated everything to him. They are his true friends in addition to being his servants. Their lives of service, their extraordinary examples strike each visitor with awe. All of the king’s servants possess their own splendor, which is given to them as a result of their place of honour in the palace.
The king has bestowed some of his own glory on everyone with him, even though theirs is infinitely less than his own. Their personal glory contributes to the glory of the entire place. The thought of the profound glory of the kings servants and friends strikes one with awe at the thought of the unique glory of the king himself whom all of these magnificent creatures serve. As you see more of the palace and move closer to the king, the glory of his friends and servants increases. In creation itself, the brilliant diversity of God’s masterpiece, with differences in snow capped mountains, flowing rivers, serene lakes, green jungles, beautiful woods and rolling hills, strike one with wonder. In heaven there is a countless variety of people, each with a different story, a different trial, a different sacrifice, a different gift, all of which were dedicated and used for God to the fullest and which culminated in perfect happiness in heaven. This stunning variety stirs one to even greater love and awe of the Almighty.
This is the true and Catholic view of heaven and the heavenly hierarchy. It is easy to see in this description how the glory of the saints does not detract from the glory of God, but magnifies it.
St. Luke 1:46: “And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.”
The Protestant view on the other hand is much different. It’s comparable to a palace that is filled only with the king. In this palace there is nothing and no one that can move your attention away from him. Which king is the more glorious? Which image of the heavenly kingdom is the true one? Which is the Biblical one? The answer is that the Bible teaches the Catholic view, the communion of the saints.
Daniel 7:10: “A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.”
The mind-boggling number of servants who minister to God only enhances the majesty of the appearance of God.
St. Matthew 25:31: “And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.”
God comes with and is glorified by his ministers and his angels and his saints. The Catholic view is the correct and Biblical view of heaven and the heavenly hierarchy. Next we will talk about how the Bible teaches that men can intercede with God.
Jeremias 15:1: “And the Lord said to me: If Moses and Samuel shall stand before me, my soul is not towards this people: cast them out from my sight, and let them go forth.”
Intercession of saintly men helps influence what God does for people and what God does to them, as this last verse shows, even if it wouldn’t have helped in this particular case.0
Exodus 32:9-15: “And again the Lord said to Moses: See that this people is stiffnecked: Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation. But Moses besought the Lord his God, saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation kindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to you seed, and you shall possess it for ever. And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people. And Moses returned from the mount, carrying the two tables of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides.”
Moses influence with God was so great that God even asked Moses to let Him alone that he might destroy them, but ultimately He relented because of Moses. Not all men are equal before God or have the same intercessory power before with Him. Moses is an exceptional case as is Abraham.
Genesis 18:26-33: “And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake. And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes. What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty. And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty. Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there. Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.”
God at times accepts the sacrifices and prayers of saintly men on behalf of sinners, as in the case of Job.
Job 42:7-10: “And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, because you have not spoken the thing that is right before my, as my servant Job hath. Take unto you therefore seven oxen, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job hath. So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job. The Lord also was turned at the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Another example involving Moses, where his intercession played a key role in obtaining the help of God:
Exodus 17:11-13: “And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel overcame: but if he let them down a little, Amalec overcame. And Moses' hands were heavy: so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat on it: and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands on both sides. And it came to pass that his hands were not weary until sunset. And Josue put Amalec and his people to flight, by the edge of the sword.”
It is clear that God grants certain things through the intercession of holy men.
Protestants like to argue that praying to saints is against Scripture, and one of the few passages they use to try and prove this is as follows:
1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
As we will see, this objection is false for many reasons.
In John 10:16: “And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.”
Jesus calls Himself the one shepherd but, in John 21:15-17, he appoints St. Peter over his flock. “Feed my lambs… feed my lambs… feed my sheep”.
Another example is that Jesus says that He is the supreme judge, in John 9:39 and many other passages. Certain Christians will also act on His behalf as judges in heaven, even of angels.
1 Corinthians 6:2: "Know you not that the saints shall judge this world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels? how much more things of this world?”
St. Matthew 19:28: “And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus is the unique mediator, since He united man to God. Jesus alone did this by His passion and death for those who cooperate with it. That does not mean that in the one mediation of Christ there are not others who participate in His mediation. In fact the Bible clearly teaches that there are.
If Jesus’ unique mediation excluded praying to saints then it would also exclude asking a fellow man to pray for you. There is no way around this. When you ask a fellow man to pray for you, you are asking another person to act as a mediator with Jesus for you. Therefore if prayers to saints are excluded by the unique mediation of Jesus, then asking another to pray for you is excluded as well.
St. Paul himself repeatedly asks others for prayers.
Romans 15:30: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God.”
He also tells others that he is praying for them.
Colossians 1:3: “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…”
The Bible also says this about the suffering of St. Paul:
Colossians 1:24: “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church.”
This verse might be a shock to some non-Catholics that are not familiar with it. St. Paul says that he fills up for the Church those things that are wanting or lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Christ’s suffering was perfect and of infinite value, so what does this mean? What St. Paul means is that many sufferings are still wanting and needed for the members of the Church to work out their salvation, which was made possible by Christ’s sacrifice. This verse is teaching that in addition to his prayers, his sacrifices and sufferings can intercede with God so that God gives others graces to convert or to remain faithful. Those people must still cooperate with the grace, but the efforts, sacrifices and prayers of members of the Church can help grant the graces. All of this proves the Catholic teaching on the communion of saints. It refutes Protestant objections in this area. The fact that man can go to other men for prayers and that the saints in heaven can answer prayers and intercede, is all rooted in the Biblical teaching on the unity of the body f Christ. There is a union among the true members of the Church of Jesus. This union does not cease when members die.
Romans 8:38-39: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And while true members of the Church can assist each other by prayers, the prayers and intercession of saintly men is particularly powerful. That is exactly what we saw in the cases of Moses, Abraham and Job. These saintly men, even after death, are interested in earthy affairs.
St. Matthew 17:2-3: “And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
Hebrew 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation? ”
Psalms 90:11: “For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.”
Samuel, some time after he had died (1 Kings 25:1), appeared to Saul to rebuke him.
1 Kings 28:18: “Because thou didst not obey the voice of the Lord, neither didst thou execute the wrath of his indignation upon Amalec. Therefore hath the Lord done to thee what thou sufferest this day.”
Apocalypse (Revelation) 8:2-4: “And I saw seven angels standing in the presence of God; and there were given to them seven trumpets. And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel.”
In truth, a real Christian does not follow any man, rather this verse means that he venerates the saints and tries to imitate them in their tremendous spiritual lives and fidelity to the Gospel. This is because saints, like the great Saint Paul, literally can help save lives and souls, as seen in the following example. During a voyage by sea of St. Paul, there came a terrible storm that threatened to destroy the ship.
Acts of the Apostles 27:21-25: “And after they had fasted a long time, Paul standing forth in the midst of them, said: You should indeed, O ye men, have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only of the ship. For an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, stood by me this night. Saying: Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and behold, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God that it shall so be, as it hath been told me.”
Undeniably, angels and saints are very active and interested in the affairs and events taking place on earth.
Canonizing Saints
Saints, because of their fidelity to Jesus Christ, are models worthy of imitation, as taught by the Bible.
1 Corinthians 4:16: “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1: “Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.”
Philippians 3:17: “Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model.”
That’s why the Catholic Church canonizes saints for us to imitate. The Bible also teaches exactly the same thing:
James 5:10: “Take, my brethren, for an example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.”
Hebrews 11 even goes through a whole list of heroes of faith, the Old Testament saints, including Abel, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David and Samuel. The first verse of the next chapter exhorts us to have confidence, knowing that all these saints are in heaven praying for us.
Hebrew 12:1: “And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us.”
Relics of Saints
The Bible teaches that even relics of the saints are to be used and venerated and can be miraculous.
St. Matthew 9:20-22: “And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”
The garment of Jesus is one thing, since Jesus is God. But does God allow miracles to be worked through the relics of his saints, or is this superstition and idolatry? Those who believe it is superstitious or idolatrous are unaware that the Bible teaches otherwise.
Acts 19:11-12: “And God wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles. So that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them.”
In this verse we see that St. Paul was not only given miraculous powers, but the handkerchiefs and aprons he touched were given miraculous power. Similar miracles are worked through the shadow of St. Peter:
Acts 5:15: “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that when Peter came, his shadow at the least, might overshadow any of them, and they might be delivered from their infirmities.”
The same is seen regarding relics of saints in the Old Testament.
4 Kings 2:14: “And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over.”
4 Kings 13:21: “And some that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And when it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life, and stood upon his feet.”
This is particularly interesting, because the bones of saints are a common relic used by Catholics, far from being idolatrous or superstitious.
Statues and images
Protestants like to use the following verse as an objection to the Catholic practice of venerating images and statues of saints.
Deuteronomy 5:8: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any things, that are in heaven above, or that are in the earth beneath, or that abide in the waters under the earth.”
This argument fails for many reasons. If we take this verse on its own and literally, then that means we can make no likeness of anything at all, such as a picture of an animal or another person. Protestants reject that understanding and even carry pictures of family, coins upon which are the images of men, etc.
To get the full context of the passage all we need to do is read the verse that comes right after it.
Deuteronomy 5:8-9: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any things, that are in heaven above, or that are in the earth beneath, or that abide in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, and thou shalt not serve them. For I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their children unto the third and fourth generation, to them that hate me.”
Thou shalt not adore them and serve them. The idolatrous worship of creatures, that is what God forbids. Catholics do not worship statues or images and to say otherwise is a lie. In fact, God commands the use of statues and images for religious purposes.
Exodus 25:18-19: “Thou shalt make also two cherubims of beaten gold, on the two sides of the oracle.”
Other passages where we see references to images and statues being sanctioned, even commanded by God for use in religion.
Exodus 26:1: “And thou shalt make the tabernacle in this manner: Thou shalt make ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, diversified with embroidery.”
There are many more examples of this, for example in 3 Kings 6 and 3 Kings 7:25-36.
Numbers 21:8: “And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.”
God commanded Moses to make an image of a serpent for the people to look upon and be healed. It should also be noted that non-Catholics who consider use of religious statues or images to be idolatrous not only condemn the Bible passages we just covered, but they also share their belief with Muslims.
Another false idea that must be addressed is the idea that Catholics worship statues because they sometimes kneel or bow before them in prayer. This objection is false and is clearly refuted by the Bible. The posture of kneeling and even of lying prostrate on the ground does not necessarily mean worship or adoration. It does signify that in certain religious contexts and in some false religions. But bowing, kneeling or even going completely prostrate can be merely a sign of respect, a humble posture. Anyone who has taken the time to read the Old Testament knows this is true. Throughout the Old Testament we see holy figures bowing down prostrate before other men, not as a sign of worship, but of respect and humility.
Genesis 33:3: “And he [Jacob] went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near.”
This is the same Jacob who Jesus says in Luke 13:28 will be in the kingdom of heaven. He was not an idolater of course.
We read a similar thing of Abraham in Genesis 23:12. There are many other examples like this in the books of Kings. Other passages which show that men bow before other men, not idolatrously, but merely out of respect are Genesis 19:1 Ruth 8:10.
These passages are sufficient to refute the false assertion that Catholics worship statues when they kneel or bow to assume a humble and respectful posture while invoking the heavenly figure whom the statue represents.
Conclusion
We have seen in much detail that the Bible teaches the communion of saints, that praying to saints is Biblical and efficacious. We’ve seen that Jesus teaches that the saints in heaven are as the angels. We’ve seen that saints who have died and gone to heaven pray and intercede for men. We’ve seen that relics and statues are not idolatrous, but Biblically based. None of this is to suggest that one cannot pray directly to Jesus. True Catholics pray directly to Jesus every day, but praying to saints and invoking their intercession is extremely effective and powerful and often obtains from Jesus graces that He is otherwise not inclined to give. It is particularly important and necessary in the case of the greatest of all the saints, the Mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the vessel He chose to come to earth.
The example, the devotion, the miracles and the lives of Catholic saints have been among the most important things in the spread of the Gospel throughout the earth. And the necessity to venerate and invoke the saints was recognized from the very beginning of the Christian Church by the Fathers of the Church. All of what the Catholic saints are and have done is by the grace of Jesus Christ. By cooperating with it they spiritually conquered the world for Christ, a world which is sadly falling into apostasy from that Catholic heritage that defined it.
John 14:12: “Otherwise believe for the very works' sake. Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do.”
The Bible teaches the communion of saints. Praying to and venerating saints does not detract from God’s glory, on the contrary, it inspires us to center our whole lives more zealously around Christ and doing His will, as they did. Throughout her history, the Catholic Church has remained faithful to the teachings of Jesus and the Bible on angels and saints. This is because the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Jesus Christ. You need to learn the true Catholic Faith, and convert to it, or you cannot attain salvation.
God uses His angels as messengers
1 Chronicles 21:18: “And the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David…”
4 Kings 1:3: “And an angel of the Lord spoke to Elias the Thesbite, saying…”
Acts 8:26: “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying…”
Throughout the Bible God uses His angels to deliver messages, to give instructions, to deliver justice and to answer prayers.
Numbers 20:16: “And how we cried to the Lord, and he heard us, and sent an angel, who hath brought us out of Egypt…”
Isaias 37:36: “And the angel of the Lord went out, and slew in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand…”
God answers prayers by sending angels, and this is so frequent and natural that not only are they sent by God, but they are also besought and entreated by men.
Judges 6:12-13: “The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with thee, O most valiant of men. And Gedeon said to him: I beseech thee, my lord, if the Lord be with us, why have these evils fallen upon us?”
Angles can be prayed to
Osee 12:3-4: “In the womb he supplanted his brother: and by his strength he had success with an angel. And he prevailed over the angel, and was strengthened: he wept, and made supplication to him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us.”
Not because they are God, of course, but because they are powerful supernatural servants of God.
St. Luke 1:10-13: “And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense. And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
The angel heard the prayer and responded.
How does this relate to saints?
Matthew 22:29-32: "And Jesus answering, said to them: You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven. And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
St. Luke 20:34-36: “And Jesus said to them: The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they that shall be accounted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead, shall neither be married, nor take wives. Neither can they die any more: for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”
Saints in heaven are as the angels. Do angels mete out God’s justice? Yes. Answer prayers on behalf of God? Yes. Receive supplication and prayer? Yes. Therefore the saints of Jesus do all of those things. Now that we have made the link between angels and saints, we need to consider a few more things in this regard. The intercession angels, on behalf of God, is extraordinarily powerful and effective. They transmit the message of the Almighty so frequently that in many passages it is not clear if the angel is speaking or if God is speaking.
Zacharias 12:8: “In that day shall the Lord protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that hath offended among them in that day shall be as David: and the house of David, as that of God, as an angel of the Lord in their sight.”
St. Luke 2:9: “And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.”
The Bible shows us the importance of the witness of angels and saints.
St. Luke 12:8-9: “And I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. But he that shall deny me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.”
Jesus considers His confession before angels to be very significant, much like His confession to His Father (Matthew 10:32).
St. Luke 15:10: “So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.”
Angles have a connection with and influence over the salvation of men. They rejoice when a man converts because their intercession assits his conversion. They cheer him, they help him and intercede for him. That’s why Catholics understand the intercession of saints to be so important. Saints in heaven are as the angels of God, they are intimately involved in man’s salvation under Jesus Christ. When one prays to them, they in turn pray to God who commonly grants His graces on their behalf and because of their close relationship with Him. The Bible also teaches that angels are present in the assemblies of the faithful.
1 Corinthians 11:10: Therefore ought the woman to have a power (head covering) over her head, because of the angels.
This verse tells us that because of the angels, not God, the woman should cover her head. Veneration is also due to angels, since they are the worthy servants of God almighty.
Jesus described St. John the Baptist as an angel.
St Matthew 11:9-10: “But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.”
In Hebrews we find a description of the Church of Jesus Christ and its heavenly majesty. Notice that the Christian coming before the heavenly description of the Church, comes before the spirits of the just men made perfect, the saints in heaven. The Christian is warned before about coming before all of the following:
Hebrews 12:22-23: "But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect"
Prayers to them are Biblical and of tremendous value, since God is glorified and not detracted by His saints.
2 Thessalonians 1:10: “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be made wonderful in all them who have believed; because our testimony was believed upon you in that day.”
As we see, Saints do not diminish God’s glory, they augment it. Those who are closest to the king can gain favours that are not always given to those who are further away from him. Just like in any other hierarchy, family, company team, etc.
The communion of saints
This is the true and Catholic view of heaven. To use an analogy, it’s like the magnificent palace of the king where there are dozens of levels of servants, assistants and attendants. Each level is full of them, they wait on the king and they have dedicated everything to him. They are his true friends in addition to being his servants. Their lives of service, their extraordinary examples strike each visitor with awe. All of the king’s servants possess their own splendor, which is given to them as a result of their place of honour in the palace.
The king has bestowed some of his own glory on everyone with him, even though theirs is infinitely less than his own. Their personal glory contributes to the glory of the entire place. The thought of the profound glory of the kings servants and friends strikes one with awe at the thought of the unique glory of the king himself whom all of these magnificent creatures serve. As you see more of the palace and move closer to the king, the glory of his friends and servants increases. In creation itself, the brilliant diversity of God’s masterpiece, with differences in snow capped mountains, flowing rivers, serene lakes, green jungles, beautiful woods and rolling hills, strike one with wonder. In heaven there is a countless variety of people, each with a different story, a different trial, a different sacrifice, a different gift, all of which were dedicated and used for God to the fullest and which culminated in perfect happiness in heaven. This stunning variety stirs one to even greater love and awe of the Almighty.
This is the true and Catholic view of heaven and the heavenly hierarchy. It is easy to see in this description how the glory of the saints does not detract from the glory of God, but magnifies it.
St. Luke 1:46: “And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.”
The Protestant view on the other hand is much different. It’s comparable to a palace that is filled only with the king. In this palace there is nothing and no one that can move your attention away from him. Which king is the more glorious? Which image of the heavenly kingdom is the true one? Which is the Biblical one? The answer is that the Bible teaches the Catholic view, the communion of the saints.
Daniel 7:10: “A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.”
The mind-boggling number of servants who minister to God only enhances the majesty of the appearance of God.
St. Matthew 25:31: “And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.”
God comes with and is glorified by his ministers and his angels and his saints. The Catholic view is the correct and Biblical view of heaven and the heavenly hierarchy. Next we will talk about how the Bible teaches that men can intercede with God.
Jeremias 15:1: “And the Lord said to me: If Moses and Samuel shall stand before me, my soul is not towards this people: cast them out from my sight, and let them go forth.”
Intercession of saintly men helps influence what God does for people and what God does to them, as this last verse shows, even if it wouldn’t have helped in this particular case.0
Exodus 32:9-15: “And again the Lord said to Moses: See that this people is stiffnecked: Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation. But Moses besought the Lord his God, saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation kindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to you seed, and you shall possess it for ever. And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people. And Moses returned from the mount, carrying the two tables of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides.”
Moses influence with God was so great that God even asked Moses to let Him alone that he might destroy them, but ultimately He relented because of Moses. Not all men are equal before God or have the same intercessory power before with Him. Moses is an exceptional case as is Abraham.
Genesis 18:26-33: “And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake. And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes. What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty. And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty. Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there. Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.”
God at times accepts the sacrifices and prayers of saintly men on behalf of sinners, as in the case of Job.
Job 42:7-10: “And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, because you have not spoken the thing that is right before my, as my servant Job hath. Take unto you therefore seven oxen, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job hath. So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job. The Lord also was turned at the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Another example involving Moses, where his intercession played a key role in obtaining the help of God:
Exodus 17:11-13: “And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel overcame: but if he let them down a little, Amalec overcame. And Moses' hands were heavy: so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat on it: and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands on both sides. And it came to pass that his hands were not weary until sunset. And Josue put Amalec and his people to flight, by the edge of the sword.”
It is clear that God grants certain things through the intercession of holy men.
Protestants like to argue that praying to saints is against Scripture, and one of the few passages they use to try and prove this is as follows:
1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
As we will see, this objection is false for many reasons.
In John 10:16: “And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.”
Jesus calls Himself the one shepherd but, in John 21:15-17, he appoints St. Peter over his flock. “Feed my lambs… feed my lambs… feed my sheep”.
Another example is that Jesus says that He is the supreme judge, in John 9:39 and many other passages. Certain Christians will also act on His behalf as judges in heaven, even of angels.
1 Corinthians 6:2: "Know you not that the saints shall judge this world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels? how much more things of this world?”
St. Matthew 19:28: “And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus is the unique mediator, since He united man to God. Jesus alone did this by His passion and death for those who cooperate with it. That does not mean that in the one mediation of Christ there are not others who participate in His mediation. In fact the Bible clearly teaches that there are.
If Jesus’ unique mediation excluded praying to saints then it would also exclude asking a fellow man to pray for you. There is no way around this. When you ask a fellow man to pray for you, you are asking another person to act as a mediator with Jesus for you. Therefore if prayers to saints are excluded by the unique mediation of Jesus, then asking another to pray for you is excluded as well.
St. Paul himself repeatedly asks others for prayers.
Romans 15:30: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God.”
He also tells others that he is praying for them.
Colossians 1:3: “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…”
The Bible also says this about the suffering of St. Paul:
Colossians 1:24: “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church.”
This verse might be a shock to some non-Catholics that are not familiar with it. St. Paul says that he fills up for the Church those things that are wanting or lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Christ’s suffering was perfect and of infinite value, so what does this mean? What St. Paul means is that many sufferings are still wanting and needed for the members of the Church to work out their salvation, which was made possible by Christ’s sacrifice. This verse is teaching that in addition to his prayers, his sacrifices and sufferings can intercede with God so that God gives others graces to convert or to remain faithful. Those people must still cooperate with the grace, but the efforts, sacrifices and prayers of members of the Church can help grant the graces. All of this proves the Catholic teaching on the communion of saints. It refutes Protestant objections in this area. The fact that man can go to other men for prayers and that the saints in heaven can answer prayers and intercede, is all rooted in the Biblical teaching on the unity of the body f Christ. There is a union among the true members of the Church of Jesus. This union does not cease when members die.
Romans 8:38-39: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And while true members of the Church can assist each other by prayers, the prayers and intercession of saintly men is particularly powerful. That is exactly what we saw in the cases of Moses, Abraham and Job. These saintly men, even after death, are interested in earthy affairs.
St. Matthew 17:2-3: “And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
Hebrew 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation? ”
Psalms 90:11: “For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.”
Samuel, some time after he had died (1 Kings 25:1), appeared to Saul to rebuke him.
1 Kings 28:18: “Because thou didst not obey the voice of the Lord, neither didst thou execute the wrath of his indignation upon Amalec. Therefore hath the Lord done to thee what thou sufferest this day.”
Apocalypse (Revelation) 8:2-4: “And I saw seven angels standing in the presence of God; and there were given to them seven trumpets. And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel.”
In truth, a real Christian does not follow any man, rather this verse means that he venerates the saints and tries to imitate them in their tremendous spiritual lives and fidelity to the Gospel. This is because saints, like the great Saint Paul, literally can help save lives and souls, as seen in the following example. During a voyage by sea of St. Paul, there came a terrible storm that threatened to destroy the ship.
Acts of the Apostles 27:21-25: “And after they had fasted a long time, Paul standing forth in the midst of them, said: You should indeed, O ye men, have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only of the ship. For an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, stood by me this night. Saying: Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and behold, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God that it shall so be, as it hath been told me.”
Undeniably, angels and saints are very active and interested in the affairs and events taking place on earth.
Canonizing Saints
Saints, because of their fidelity to Jesus Christ, are models worthy of imitation, as taught by the Bible.
1 Corinthians 4:16: “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1: “Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.”
Philippians 3:17: “Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model.”
That’s why the Catholic Church canonizes saints for us to imitate. The Bible also teaches exactly the same thing:
James 5:10: “Take, my brethren, for an example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.”
Hebrews 11 even goes through a whole list of heroes of faith, the Old Testament saints, including Abel, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David and Samuel. The first verse of the next chapter exhorts us to have confidence, knowing that all these saints are in heaven praying for us.
Hebrew 12:1: “And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us.”
Relics of Saints
The Bible teaches that even relics of the saints are to be used and venerated and can be miraculous.
St. Matthew 9:20-22: “And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”
The garment of Jesus is one thing, since Jesus is God. But does God allow miracles to be worked through the relics of his saints, or is this superstition and idolatry? Those who believe it is superstitious or idolatrous are unaware that the Bible teaches otherwise.
Acts 19:11-12: “And God wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles. So that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them.”
In this verse we see that St. Paul was not only given miraculous powers, but the handkerchiefs and aprons he touched were given miraculous power. Similar miracles are worked through the shadow of St. Peter:
Acts 5:15: “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that when Peter came, his shadow at the least, might overshadow any of them, and they might be delivered from their infirmities.”
The same is seen regarding relics of saints in the Old Testament.
4 Kings 2:14: “And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over.”
4 Kings 13:21: “And some that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And when it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life, and stood upon his feet.”
This is particularly interesting, because the bones of saints are a common relic used by Catholics, far from being idolatrous or superstitious.
Statues and images
Protestants like to use the following verse as an objection to the Catholic practice of venerating images and statues of saints.
Deuteronomy 5:8: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any things, that are in heaven above, or that are in the earth beneath, or that abide in the waters under the earth.”
This argument fails for many reasons. If we take this verse on its own and literally, then that means we can make no likeness of anything at all, such as a picture of an animal or another person. Protestants reject that understanding and even carry pictures of family, coins upon which are the images of men, etc.
To get the full context of the passage all we need to do is read the verse that comes right after it.
Deuteronomy 5:8-9: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any things, that are in heaven above, or that are in the earth beneath, or that abide in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, and thou shalt not serve them. For I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their children unto the third and fourth generation, to them that hate me.”
Thou shalt not adore them and serve them. The idolatrous worship of creatures, that is what God forbids. Catholics do not worship statues or images and to say otherwise is a lie. In fact, God commands the use of statues and images for religious purposes.
Exodus 25:18-19: “Thou shalt make also two cherubims of beaten gold, on the two sides of the oracle.”
Other passages where we see references to images and statues being sanctioned, even commanded by God for use in religion.
Exodus 26:1: “And thou shalt make the tabernacle in this manner: Thou shalt make ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, diversified with embroidery.”
There are many more examples of this, for example in 3 Kings 6 and 3 Kings 7:25-36.
Numbers 21:8: “And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.”
God commanded Moses to make an image of a serpent for the people to look upon and be healed. It should also be noted that non-Catholics who consider use of religious statues or images to be idolatrous not only condemn the Bible passages we just covered, but they also share their belief with Muslims.
Another false idea that must be addressed is the idea that Catholics worship statues because they sometimes kneel or bow before them in prayer. This objection is false and is clearly refuted by the Bible. The posture of kneeling and even of lying prostrate on the ground does not necessarily mean worship or adoration. It does signify that in certain religious contexts and in some false religions. But bowing, kneeling or even going completely prostrate can be merely a sign of respect, a humble posture. Anyone who has taken the time to read the Old Testament knows this is true. Throughout the Old Testament we see holy figures bowing down prostrate before other men, not as a sign of worship, but of respect and humility.
Genesis 33:3: “And he [Jacob] went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near.”
This is the same Jacob who Jesus says in Luke 13:28 will be in the kingdom of heaven. He was not an idolater of course.
We read a similar thing of Abraham in Genesis 23:12. There are many other examples like this in the books of Kings. Other passages which show that men bow before other men, not idolatrously, but merely out of respect are Genesis 19:1 Ruth 8:10.
These passages are sufficient to refute the false assertion that Catholics worship statues when they kneel or bow to assume a humble and respectful posture while invoking the heavenly figure whom the statue represents.
Conclusion
We have seen in much detail that the Bible teaches the communion of saints, that praying to saints is Biblical and efficacious. We’ve seen that Jesus teaches that the saints in heaven are as the angels. We’ve seen that saints who have died and gone to heaven pray and intercede for men. We’ve seen that relics and statues are not idolatrous, but Biblically based. None of this is to suggest that one cannot pray directly to Jesus. True Catholics pray directly to Jesus every day, but praying to saints and invoking their intercession is extremely effective and powerful and often obtains from Jesus graces that He is otherwise not inclined to give. It is particularly important and necessary in the case of the greatest of all the saints, the Mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the vessel He chose to come to earth.
The example, the devotion, the miracles and the lives of Catholic saints have been among the most important things in the spread of the Gospel throughout the earth. And the necessity to venerate and invoke the saints was recognized from the very beginning of the Christian Church by the Fathers of the Church. All of what the Catholic saints are and have done is by the grace of Jesus Christ. By cooperating with it they spiritually conquered the world for Christ, a world which is sadly falling into apostasy from that Catholic heritage that defined it.
John 14:12: “Otherwise believe for the very works' sake. Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do.”
The Bible teaches the communion of saints. Praying to and venerating saints does not detract from God’s glory, on the contrary, it inspires us to center our whole lives more zealously around Christ and doing His will, as they did. Throughout her history, the Catholic Church has remained faithful to the teachings of Jesus and the Bible on angels and saints. This is because the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Jesus Christ. You need to learn the true Catholic Faith, and convert to it, or you cannot attain salvation.
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