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Reply. The Gospel records that Christ prayed, and to pray befitted
Him as man, because His human will was incapable of doing all
things, and Christ knew that it was in accordance with His Father's
divine plan that He should receive certain things only by prayer. He
also prayed so that He might give us an example of having recourse to
God.
Doubt. Does Christ now in heaven truly and in the strict sense pray
for us. Medina, Vasquez, and certain others, such as Father de la
Taille, say that Christ now in heaven prays for us only in the broad
sense of the term, showing His human nature and His past merits to
the Father.
The Thomists and many other theologians reply that Christ in heaven
in the strict sense prays for us, interceding as our advocate so that
at the favorable moment the fruits of His past merits and satisfaction
may be applied to us.
Scriptural proof. St. Paul says: "Christ... who is at the
right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."[1528]
Again he says of Christ: "Always living to make intercession for
us."[1529] This prayer of Christ in heaven has its own
particular name, being called "intercession." Elsewhere it is said
of Christ now in heaven that He is "our advocate, " and that "we
have an advocate with the Father."[1530]
Thus St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great,
and St. Thomas say that Christ also now in heaven prays for the
Church. He can no more, indeed, either merit or satisfy for us,
because He is no longer a wayfarer. But He can offer intercessory
prayer for us; the saints pray for us in heaven, and the greater their
charity is, the greater is their influence.[1531]
But if in the litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary we do not say
"Christ, pray for us, " but "Christ, hear us, " this is
because Christ, as God, hears our prayers, and we also say
"Christ, hear us" to avoid the error of Nestorianism. Finally,
it is a more perfect act to hear a prayer than to pray.[1532]
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