If you’ve ever been told by a non-Catholic Christian that asking the saints for intercession is wrong, you’ll be encouraged by this explanation from Patrick Madrid!
Patrick addresses this practice of praying to the saints, as some Protestants criticize it based on the belief that saints are dead and therefore should not be invoked. Patrick provides a comprehensive explanation, structured around four key points, supported by various scripture passages:
- The Church as the Body of Christ: Drawing analogies from Jesus and St. Paul, he emphasizes our interconnectedness as branches of a vine and members of a body, respectively, indicating our mutual dependence and the impossibility of one member not needing the other.
- The Unity of Christ’s Body: He stresses that there is only one body of Christ, encompassing those in heaven, purgatory, and on earth, indicating an unbroken communion among all members regardless of their state.
- The Bond Beyond Death: Patrick cites Romans 8 to affirm that death does not sever our relationship with Christ or with other members of His body.
- The Command to Pray for Each Other: Referencing 1 Timothy 2, he reinforces the Christian duty to pray for one another, emphasizing that this practice pleases God.
Addressing the objection about mediation, Patrick counters that if it is acceptable to ask a living person to pray for us, it should be equally valid to request prayers from saints in heaven. He argues that death does not dissociate us from the body of Christ, thus the saints, being alive in God, can intercede for us. He supports this with the scriptural instance of the martyrs under the altar in Revelation 6, who are conscious of earthly affairs and communicate with God.
Lastly, Patrick directs listeners to his article “Any Friend of God’s is a Friend of Mine,” which delves deeper into biblical justifications for invoking saints and addresses common Protestant objections using scripture alone.
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