The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

INVOCATION OF SAINTS. 183not be disposed to attach adequate importance tothe writings of the Fathers, I shall confine myselfto the testimony of Holy Scripture.You will readily admit that it is a salutarycustom to ask the prayers of the blessed in heaven,provided you have no doubt that they can hearyour prayers, and that they have the power andthe will to assist you. Now the Scriptures amplydemonstrate the knowledge, the influence, and thelove of the saints in our regard.1. It would be a great mistake to suppose that theangels and saints reigning with God see and hearin the same manner that we see and hear on earth ;or that knowledgeis communicated to them as it iscommunicated to us. While we are confined in theprison of the body, we see only with our eyes andhear with our ears ;and hence our faculties of visionand hearing are very limited. Compared with theheavenly inhabitants, we are like a man in a darksome cell through which a dim ray of light penetrates. He observes but a few objects, and thesevery obscurely. But as soon as our soul is freedfrom the body, soaring heavenward like a bird released from its cage, its vision is at once marvelouslyenlarged. It requires neither eyes to see norears to hear, but beholds all things in God as in amirror. "We now," says the Apostle, "see througha glass darkly ;but then face to face. Now, I knowin part: but then I shall know even as I am known."11 1. Cor. xiii. 12.