The experience made me reflect on a conversation I had over dinner with my evangelical church going, kismet girlfriends during which one friend was visibly upset about her cousin praying to the saints (given that it's a form of idolatry).
I started mulling over how we can pray directly to Christ but we often ask our friends to pray for us, too. Isn't that what Catholics are doing when saying the Hail Mary? Asking for intercession on our behalf? Pray for us sinners now and at the time of our death.
Not exactly. The difference is: they're dead.
Can the dead hear our prayers? And pray for us?
Given that I haven't the first clue about what I'm even writing here on this topic, I found a book that looked like an interesting Protestant take on the matter: The Lure of Saints: A Protestant Experience of Catholic Tradition. I've only just begun reading but, so far, it seems to be a very evenly weighted, deeply faith-based approach to the important role saints play in Catholicism tempered with some of the more troubling aspects of devotion to them.
Akin to increasing my knowledge of the faith while sponsoring my girlfriend Misty to become a Catholic a few years back, this book is leading me to a greater appreciation of my upbringing in the church. (Writing it must have done the same for the author as he has a blog called Almost Catholic and apparently joined the church in 2009.)
So, in honor of saintly trinkets, would it be in bad taste to wear this belt sold by Rochester's own Lucky Nahum at Always Get Lucky? I thought it was kind of cute and not at all sinful . . .
What I heard on the radio this morning (thank you Jennifer V!):
What I'm humming now:
7 comments:
I'm tempted to pray to the patron saint of cyclists here:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/06/news/gallery-northern-italys-madonna-del-ghisallo-chapel-enshrines-cyclings-greats_92737
The scenery is particularly inspiring.
http://www.beerchurch.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1888
Wow! Two things:
1) The bike church is gorgeous!
2) Wally, a top-notch, supernatural beer stud?
When I finally got confirmed in the Catholic Church at age 26, our young priest went out and partied with us. We had a ball!
You might also enjoy My Life with the Saints by James Martin
Citygirl confirmed in the Catholic church!
And thanks Coffee Milk Toast Jam!! I'll definitely check it out; sounds much better than My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult :)
Our God is a God of the living, and I hope I'll be with Him and asking spiritual favors for my grandkids some day; not dead, just no longer in an unresurrected body.
In the meantime, I need all the prayer help I can get, and so I seek the prayers of my friends and family here and now, along with a long list of saints based on various needs and interests. I ask Joan of Arc to pray for a warrior friend of mine; Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross to pray for my mysticism; St. Thomas Moore and St. John Fisher to pray for my fight for orthodoxy; Francis de Sales and Jeanne de Chantelle to pray for my writing; etc.
I envision them carrying my prayers like incense to the Lamb on the throne as described in the book of Revelation.
It is comforting...
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