Prayers of Intercession: Praying For Each Other and With the Saints

Prayers of intercession–prayers for others–are a staple of our Catholic faith. The practice isn’t just something made up in Rome by a bunch of mostly Italian clerics in the Middle Ages. In fact, we can trace it to Sacred Scripture.

Prayers of Intercession in Scripture

In Job, God told Eliphaz, Baldad and Sophar, “…offer for yourselves a holocaust…my servant Job shall pray for you…” (Job 42: 8) . In Deuteronomy, Moses tells of how he lay prostrate for 40 days and nights, begging the Lord for mercy on behalf of the Israelites, “O Lord God, destroy not thy people and thy heritage, whom thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, whom thou hast brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” (Dt 9:26)

The New Testament contains many references to prayers of intercession. For example:

• “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (1 Tim 2:1)
• “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph 6:18)
• “We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers” (1 Thess 1:2)
• “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44)

Many more examples exist throughout the Bible. The Lords wants us to do this. It’s an efficacious practice.

Charity Demands Intercessory Prayers

The Catechism tells us that,

Since Abraham, intercession – asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ’s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks “not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,” even to the point of praying for those who do him harm (CCC 2635) ^.

St. Thomas Aquinas explains that prayers of intercession are, “…essential to the love which we owe to our neighbor, as stated above (II-II:25:1 and II-II:25:2; II-II:27:2; II-II:31:1). Therefore charity requires us to pray for others.”  (ST II-II:83:7)

Not only are intercessory prayers good, but charity requires us to pray for others.

Intercessory Prayers Are Part of Daily Life

Most Christians, Catholic or otherwise, probably have asked friends, clergy or family to pray for some intention for them. For example we may have asked, “My mom’s sick–would you mind adding her to your prayer intentions?” Or, someone might ask, “Please pray that our new ministry gets off to a good start.”

Many of us have asked others, “Can I pray for you about this?” As I noted in a previous piece, a friend of mine asks the waiter or waitress if he can pray for them when they bring his order and he’s getting ready to pray before his meal. These are all examples of prayers of intercession in day-to-day life.

Can Saints Hear Our Prayers of Intercession?

If we ask others to pray with us or for us, why wouldn’t we ask the saints to do so? Some would ask how others who have died either hear our prayers or pray for us. Once again, the Summa sheds some light for us:

The Divine essence is a sufficient medium for knowing all things…each of the blessed must see in the Divine essence as many things as the perfection of his happiness requires. For the perfection of a man’s happiness requires him to have whatever he will, and to will nothing amiss: and each one wills with a right will, to know what concerns himself…since no rectitude is lacking to the saints, they wish to know what concerns themselves, consequently it follows that they know it in the Word. Now it pertains to their glory that they assist the needy for their salvation: for thus they become God’s co-operators…Wherefore it is evident that the saints are cognizant of such things as are required for this purpose; and so it is manifest that they know in the Word the vows, devotions, and prayers of those who have recourse to their assistance (ST IIIa:72:1).

In God, the saints know what they need to know about God and his glory, and themselves and their glory. Part of their glory consists in assisting others, in cooperating with God, to help those others attain heaven. In order to help the rest of us, then, the saints must know through God our prayers and petitions. (cf. A Tour of the Summa p. 437)

Why Asking Saints for Intercession Makes Sense

If the saints can hear our petitions and our prayers of intercession for others, why shouldn’t we pray to them? Per the Summa Theologiae:

..since the saints who are in heaven are nearest to God, the order of the Divine law requires that we, who while we remain in the body are pilgrims from the Lord, should be brought back to God by the saints who are between us and Him: and this happens when the Divine goodness pours forth its effect into us through them. And since our return to God should correspond to the outflow of His boons upon us, just as the Divine favors reach us by means of the saints’ intercession, so should we, by their means, be brought back to God, that we may receive His favors again. Hence it is that we make them our intercessors with God, and our mediators as it were, when we ask them to pray for us (ST IIIa:72:2).

St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, is one among many saints recommending the practice of invoking the saints. (cf. Introduction to the Devout Life, 2.16) And why not? If we believe our prayers for one another here on earth have efficacy, then we ought to consider how much more efficacious are the prayers of those already in heaven with God. The Catechism, quoting Lumen Gentium, affirms this at 956:

 The intercession of the saints. ‘Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness…They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus…So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.’

Christ Is the One Mediator With the Father

Christ is the One Mediator with Our Father. Catholics agree that Jesus is Our Intercessor with the Father. In fact, at Mass, if you listen closely, when the priest offers up prayers, he prays them in the name of Jesus in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Asking others, alive or deceased, canonized saints or not, to pray for us does not violate this prayer “chain of command.”

When we are going to Our Lady in prayer, we’re asking her to pray to Jesus for us–to intercede for us, as He is interceding with the Father. We’re not worshiping Mary, we’re honoring her and asking for her much-needed help. And this is true, as well, for our requests to other saints for their assistance.

Interceding To God and Through the Saints

What do prayers of intercession look like? What’s on your heart at the time you’re praying? Prayers of intercession can involve simply making a request on behalf of someone. For example, “St. Joseph, please help their troubled family.” If you’re more comfortable praying straight to God,  “Father, in Jesus’ name, I ask that you pour out your grace for unity on their family.”

Or it might involve naming intentions at the outset of the Rosary or chaplet you’re about to begin praying. Lifting up your intentions to God at the offertory of the Mass is another way. Also, if you pray the Liturgy of the Hours, praying them in the name of the person you’re praying for is powerful.

We ought to take a cue from the friends of the paralytic who let him down through the roof into Jesus’ presence. When Jesus saw their faith, he forgave the man’s sins and healed him. (cf. Lk 5:17-26) When He sees our faith, He will respond. (cf. Ps 37:5)

Who do we know that could use a little spiritual assistance? After all, we’re all in this together. Let’s pray for one another, and invoke the prayers of the saints for their supernatural aid as well.

Oremus pro invicem!