Bippy: When Catholics say we are praying to God and praying to saints we are talking about qualitatively different things as different as a monkey is to a man. The Protestant generally only has one species in mind when he thinks of prayer—prayer to God that necessarily includes adoration. But one need only pick up a dictionary to discover there are in truth different definitions and therefore different usages of the same word in English.
Prayer:
The act or practice of praying.
An earnest request; entreaty; supplication
(a) humble entreaty addressed to God, to a god, etc.:
(b) a request made to God, etc.; as, her prayer for his safe return;
(c) any set formula for praying, as to God.
But WHY would anyone do any of the above? And where are such examples of this to be found in the New Testament, or instructions to do so? And if Christ is the ONLY mediator between God and man - and as He is also God/knows ALL about EVERYTHING and EVERY need, does He really need someone to remind HIm or implore Him to help in anyone's earthly situations - things that He has ALWAYS known about in minute detail? The saints of Heaven have NO power. And we don't even know for certain that they can even hear our prayers (ok, supplications, entreaties - whatever). And IF Catholic teachings about this are actually being misinterpreted by countless Catholics, why would CC writings be so suggestive that these are actual prayers?
Irrelevant - Jesus needs no "Co-Redeemtrix!"Essential Sacrifice: Rick, here's some, not all of the Dogma towards the Marian doctrine. She is always beneath Christ.
Essential Sacrifice: Any prayers said to her are meant only to be heightened by her to the ends of strengthening that prayer to her Son.
So God cannot clearly hear our prayers? But the Saints CAN? You see, this suggests that what God hears and knows is somehow not as optimum as it might be - or needs to be - that God needs the clarification of one of His created beings to have a better grasp on what is being prayed for. Or He puts more value on the prayers or supplications of one saint (ALL Christians are saints, per Scripture) over another one?
Again, so our all-knowing God pays more attention to Mary's prayers than our own? Where in Scripture is THAT? HUGE hint: It's NOT!!! NOwhere in Scripture is Mary elevated as per Catholic doctrine - doctrine which, by the way, was made up centuries after the New Testament era.Essential Sacrifice: She is, perhaps best defined as a holy conduit with extra validity and discernment by her special relationship to the Triune God.
This says absolutely nothing about Mary's future ability to strengthen prayers or more effective supplications! It's reading into the text per CC dogma - the traditions of man-written religious teachings!Essential Sacrifice: This was fore told biblically when Mary and Joseph met Simeon at the temple for His presentation: Luke 2: 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
All of what you asserting is that there is more than one mediator between us - that Jesus PLUS Mary is more effective than Jesus alone. It is saying God/Jesus is less knowledgeable/less effective without Mary's input, with regard to our prayers. This is nothing more than religion at its "finest!" It's unScriptural, and not one Apostle taught or demonstrated such a practice. But people will often believe anything that comes from the Pope or official CC doctrine. But when it contradicts the Scriptures? Who are you going to follow - the teachings of God or man?Essential Sacrifice: Mother relationship to us and between us and God. It is difficult to see what very much appears like prayer incongruous to God being directed to Mary, but it exists ... she is always subordinate to God..
You just can't go wrong when there's love and forgiveness involved.