Saints go marching into our lives and out...

"Death cannot separate Christians from Christ or from one another"~ Rom 8:35-39

In times of trouble or ill health we ask our family or friends "would you pray for me?" Believers pray to Jesus also, and some believers wonder, why do Catholics pray to dead people...and why to anyone else but Jesus...I mean, He is God! We only need one mediator? Well if that is what you believe, why are you asking others here on earth to pray for you? Besides, St. Paul clearly urges Christians in 1 Tim 2:1, to intercede and pray for "all" men. All prayers, whether in heaven or on earth are encouraged. I would suspect  prayers from those in heaven are most powerful, as the saints are with God. 

We, as believers, that are alive and dead are called saints. Our bond of supernatural unity is called the communion of saints. We are a part of the mystical body of Christ. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5). We can call on the help of our family in heaven and our family on earth. 

But Catholics, can be accused of speaking to the dead (necromancy) when they pray to saints -which is condemned in Deut 18. Well, we don't! The saints are alive and with God. Just as Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross beside him that he would "today" be in paradise and when He spoke to Elijah and Moses after they had already died.....so do we realize they are more alive than we are...in heaven! We have friends in high places  flooded with God's love, taking our prayers to God. How wonderful to have many people  pray for us and as far as saints go there are over 10,000 recognized in the Church that we can call on. I don't know about you, but I don't have that many friends on Facebook or in my email account. I feel so popular :)

I gave my sister a St. Sebastian medal, as she is doing a half marathon tomorrow. Now, if she prays tomorrow for his prayer assistance and someone in Peru is praying to him, and  1,000's of people at the same time are praying to St. Sebastian- how can he hear so many voices? Well, if this computer's inanimate microchip can process millions of instructions simultaneously, can God not have His living saints process millions of requests at the same time? I mean, He is God! I wouldn't put Him in a box.

Tomorrow, marks a day of joy in the Church as 7 people become saints, like Kateri Tekakwitha, North America's first aboriginal saint. But today, marked a day of sadness as a saint among us has passed away, my cousin Sarah Sorrell. She asked me to pray for her recently and I did. But, now I ask Sarah, that I believe is in heaven, to intercede for me as she did while she was here on earth. Be with God Sarah and rest in our Savior's loving embrace. I have no doubt you will intercede to our Father, that your children be covered with his banner of light and protection. I pray to see my "entire" family some day...so there are no tears. I have happiness and peace knowing we are bound in mutual love (Rom 12:10) and so glad we have so many souls that rally for us each day we live.