Some examples of these early liturgical prayers are included in the modern rite of the Eucharist: "Now with angels and archangels, and the whole company of heaven, we sing the unending hymn of your praise There are invocations of the martyrs inscribed in the catacombs from the time of the late 2nd century onward, and the first prayer directly addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, of which we have record, was written in the early 3rd century.
By the 4th century the invocation of the angels and saints is universally practiced in the Church, and there is no evidence of any significant division or dispute about it at any stage of this development. Catholic theologians see this consensus as a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, guiding the Christian people to perceive ever more clearly their relationship in the Body of Christ with the saints who have gone before us into heaven.
The doctrine of the invocation of the angels and saints also fits well with the wider pattern of the Christian Faith. Our growth in faith and holiness is aided by the intercession of other members of the Body of Christ Eph ; 1 Thess ; 1 Tim , and the Church on earth and in heaven are evidently united in some way in Christ Heb It is hard to see how asking the angels and saints to pray for us can be misconstrued as "idolatry" the accusation made by some Evangelicals , while asking one's Christian family members and friends for their prayers is not.
Both acts seem to be based on similar principles of charity and intercessory prayer. Idolatry would only occur if one believed that a saint or angel would give you something that our Lord would not as if praying to an alternate God ; but authentic prayers to the angels and saints are no more than requests made to them to pray for us to Him! The final address is still the same, as in the "Hail Mary": "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
This makes it "morally certain" i. Add to that the fact that the Ecumenical Councils and Popes have always strongly endorsed this doctrine, and we can go beyond mere moral certainty: we can have "the certainty of faith" that this truth has been revealed to us by God.
But that does not mean we can't get at least close to an answer. Catechism entry tells us some important things about the souls in heaven:. Indeed, the Scriptures tell us over and over that in heaven we shall "see" God with our mind and heart, and contemplate God with the eyes of the soul so to speak in a new and glorious way: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" Mt ; "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" 1 Cor ; "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is" 1 Jn Think of it this way: to see God "as He is," "face to face," and to "contemplate" God in all his heavenly glory must be an indescribable experience, but it is the wonderful destiny He has in store for all of us who love and trust Him.
We cannot fully understand what that means, from this side of heaven. But we know one thing for sure: to see and know and contemplate God in heaven must include to see and know and contemplate all that God loves - for how could you really see and know God "as He is" without seeing everything He loves, and without seeing how He loves everything?
God alone hears and answers our prayers, or not, according to his will. Within the mystery of life among the redeemed in heavenly glory, the saints in union with Christ, are made aware of our requests for help and they in turn pray for us. The Church shows its firm belief in the intercession of the saints when it requires that none of her faithful may be enrolled among her canonised saints unless there is irrefutable proof that God has worked a miracle in a particular case through the intercession of a certain potential saint.
Jesus Christ is forever our one and only way to God. We on earth pray in his name, and the saints in heavenly glory do exactly the same. Martyrdom of St Stephen by Gustav Dore. About Latest Posts. Michael Shackleton. Latest posts by Michael Shackleton see all. Why did Lucifer and the Angels Rebel? Being outside of time, it takes no time for them to hear these prayers. Furthermore, there are a finite number of people on the earth, and thus a finite number of prayers are being sent skyward.
Omniscience is not required — just an expanded range of human abilities. Second, we should note that our oneness in Christ forms the medium of our communication with those in heaven. He is the vine; we are the branches in heaven and on earth.
We are one body animated by Christ, who is the infinite, personal God in heaven and on earth.
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