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Objection 1: It would seem that we ought to pray to God alone.
Prayer is an act of religion, as stated above (Article 3). But
God alone is to be worshiped by religion. Therefore we should pray to
God alone.
Objection 2: Further, it is useless to pray to one who is ignorant
of the prayer. But it belongs to God alone to know one's prayer,
both because frequently prayer is uttered by an interior act which God
alone knows, rather than by words, according to the saying of the
Apostle (1 Cor. 14:15), "I will pray with the spirit, I
will pray also with the understanding": and again because, as
Augustine says (De Cura pro mortuis xiii) the "dead, even the
saints, know not what the living, even their own children, are
doing." Therefore we ought to pray to God alone.
Objection 3: Further, if we pray to any of the saints, this is
only because they are united to God. Now some yet living in this
world, or even some who are in Purgatory, are closely united to God
by grace, and yet we do not pray to them. Therefore neither should we
pray to the saints who are in Paradise.
On the contrary, It is written (Job 5:1), "Call . . . if
there be any that will answer thee, and turn to some of the saints."
I answer that, Prayer is offered to a person in two ways: first, as
to be fulfilled by him, secondly, as to be obtained through him. In
the first way we offer prayer to God alone, since all our prayers
ought to be directed to the acquisition of grace and glory, which God
alone gives, according to Ps. 83:12, "The Lord will give
grace and glory." But in the second way we pray to the saints,
whether angels or men, not that God may through them know our
petitions, but that our prayers may be effective through their prayers
and merits. Hence it is written (Apoc. 8:4) that "the smoke of
the incense," namely "the prayers of the saints ascended up before
God." This is also clear from the very style employed by the Church
in praying: since we beseech the Blessed Trinity "to have mercy on
us," while we ask any of the saints "to pray for us."
Reply to Objection 1: To Him alone do we offer religious worship
when praying, from Whom we seek to obtain what we pray for, because
by so doing we confess that He is the Author of our goods: but not to
those whom we call upon as our advocates in God's presence.
Reply to Objection 2: The dead, if we consider their natural
condition, do not know what takes place in this world, especially the
interior movements of the heart. Nevertheless, according to Gregory
(Moral. xii, 21), whatever it is fitting the blessed should know
about what happens to us, even as regards the interior movements of the
heart, is made known to them in the Word: and it is most becoming to
their exalted position that they should know the petitions we make to
them by word or thought; and consequently the petitions which we raise
to them are known to them through Divine manifestation.
Reply to Objection 3: Those who are in this world or in
Purgatory, do not yet enjoy the vision of the Word, so as to be able
to know what we think or say. Wherefore we do not seek their
assistance by praying to them, but ask it of the living by speaking to
them.
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