The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"192 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERSthat itis continually offering up its fervent petitionsat the throne of God for you, that you both may bereunited in heaven.But I hear men cry out with Pharisaical assurance. "You dishonor God, sir, in praying to thesaints. You make void the mediatorship of Jesu3Christ. You put the creature above the Creator."How utterly groundless is this objection We do!not dishonor God in praying to the saints. Weshould indeed dishonor Him vif we consulted thesaints independently of God. But such is not ourpractice. The Catholic Church teaches, on the contrary, that God alone is the Giver of all good gifts;that He is the Source of all blessings, the Fountainof all goodness. She teaches that whatever happiness, or glory, or influence the saints possess, allcomes from God. As the moon borrows her lightfrom the sun, so do the blessed borrow their lightfrom Jesus, the Sun of Justice," the one MediatorJ(of redemption) of God and men."Hence, whenwe address the saints, we beg them to pray for uathrough the merits of Jesus Christ, while we askJesus to help us through His own merits.But what is the use of praying to the saints, sinceGod can hear us? If it is vain and useless to prayto the saints because God can hear us, then Jacobwas wrong in praying to the angel ; then the friendsof Job were wrong iu asking him to pray for them,1 1. Tim. ii. 6.