Praying to saints, how and how not to QUESTION from Mary S. September 25, 2001
Greetings. I'm new to praying to Saints other than Mary in the Rosary. How do I go about it? Do I (1) make the sign of the cross, then (2) pray to the saint in my own words, finish with a (3) glory be ? Are there any specific rules? Things you shouldn't do or ways you shouldn't pray to them? I've just started praying to a few saints other than Mary, but it feels weird every time, and I feel like I may be doing something wrong.
I found some prayers to St. Joan of Arc on a very nice website about her, are these also allowed? : http://www.stjoan-center.com/topics/prayers.html
Please let me know, I don't want to offend God. Thank you! God Bless you.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on September 28, 2001 Dear Miss Mary:
You can pray to the Saints in any manner you wish. There are many pre-written devotional prayers to most of the Saints. You can pray any of those, make up your own, or just talk conversationally with the Saints as you would a person sitting in your living room.
It is common practice to begin a prayer session (rather than each and every prayer) with the sign of the Cross, and then perhaps to end a prayer session with the sign of the cross.
Just remember not to get superstitious and remember that you are asking the Saints to intercede for you to God, or are asking for their assistance with a problem you are having.
The prayers listed at the website you mentioned are just fine.
The Saints are there to help, comfort, and intercede for us. We are a family and the Saints are our brothers and sisters who have gone on before us. But they are family and God wants us to be a family.
Keep praying.
Back to Index Page