ArchivedCatholic Church :: Praying to Saints???? But you used Psalms as a justification to pray to angels and the Psalmists call upon the heavens, the earth, seas, and all that is in the seas to praise God. So again using your reasoning we should be able to pray to the heavens, earth, seas, and all that is in the seas.
We are spiritually alive in Christ and after our death we are also physically "dead in Christ" until our bodies are resurrected at His second coming. The "dead in Christ" cannot hear our prayers. NT:40
hagios (hag'-ee-os); from hagos (an awful thing) [compare NT:53, NT:2282]; sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):
KJV - (most) holy (one, thing), saint.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Those alive in Christ are, now get this, "sacred, (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated").
All you have done with your list of Bible references is establish that all who are alive in Christ are "consecrated" to Christ, which applies to those dead in Christ and does not establish those "dead in Christ" can hear our prayers. We are united in Christ through a mutual faith in Christ, which does not meand the "dead in Christ" are now in heaven hearing our prayers and interceding on our behalf.
Elijah did not suffer physical death and the transfiguration is not a prayer meeting. It was a confirmation to the Apostles who were present that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Matt 16:17-17:8
"Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. 19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. 26 "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds. 28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Matthew 17
17:1 And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" 6 And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone. NAS
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