What is the proper way for a Catholic to pray to a Saint? (and how is this justified in biblical teachings?)?

Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written.

Therefore there is little in the bible about asking saints to pray for us. However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.

Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ on Earth (believers) relate to the Body of Christ in heaven (saints). We are still one Body.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

Prayers to saints usually take one of these forms:

+ Saint xxx, pray for us.

+ Saint xxx, pray for me.

+ Saint xxx, please pray for my sick Aunt zzz.

+ Here is a nice Litany of Saints: http://catholicyouth.freeservers.com/litanies/all_...

+ The Hail Mary prayer simply recites Bible passages (the Word of God) and asks Mary to pray for us:

Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you. (These are the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary, a Bible quote.)

Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (This is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's greeting, another bible quote.)

Holy Mary, (The angel Gabriel said she was full of grace and Elizabeth said she was blessed.)

Mother of God, (the Bible says Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son)

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. (A simple request to pray for us.)

Amen.

+ With love in Christ.

As a non-Christian, and therefore non-Catholic, I will attempt to ponder this question. I believe it is called "veneration of saints" and it is like going to a great teacher and asking for support. I suppose if healing was what foremost in ones mind then, the subject of healing would be a subject to ask for support. As far as biblical justification, this is really not something I know about. I've read the Bible as a part of my general education and the only thing that I vaguely remember about is a New Testament verse about the prayer of a righteous man being of great value (James 5:16).

I hope some Christians, especially Catholic ones will have a more detailed answer for you.

Catholics don't technically pray to saints. Many will say they do. But the theology just isn't there. They ASK the saints to pray for them. Same with the Virgin Mary. There is some biblical teaching to support it. When the sinful man is taken to hell he "prayed" to father Abraham to warn his relatives. Abraham refused saying that they have the prophets. Personally I think I need all the prayers I can get so I ask the saints all the time to pray for me.

Just a catholic farce. The saints do NOT hear you when you pray and you go against God's will to pray to Him through the Holy Spirit. It is pretty much along the lines of the pope, and priests forgiving sins. It just CAN'T happen.

http://planttel.net/~meharris1/mikescorner.html

Praying to a (so called) saint is NOT justified in Biblical teachings. We should pray in the name of Jesus. He is the only one who can deliver our prayers to God.

Saints are not miracle workers--they are dead people in heaven with God. We ask for their intercession with God since we know they they are with Him. Many saints led extraordinary lives while on Earth and give us good examples to live by. Some saints have been identified as helping specifically for certain types of prayers. There are patron saints for communities and professions. This is all human tradition, but as far as I know--prayer cannot hurt.

The truth is important! No one can approach The Almighty without Jesus. This is Gods choice and means of speaking to Him in prayer. Can't change the facts for the sake of discussion. Not logical nor fruitful. So many try to worship God on their terms not his.

Don't you read your previous answers, or check them out? I've already told you that the Bible defines all born-again believers as saints. It means those "set-apart"

You do not pray to human beings, nor to angels. You pray only to God, and in particular to Jesus who has saved you from your sins.

Healing...well, that's aniother subject!

The Bible says that anything we ask God should be asked in Jesus name. There is nothing in the Bible about praying to anyone else. John 15:16 - last part of verse:

whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

I believe if you study the Bible you will see not to pray to saints, but to the Father in Jesus' name.