Why I Pray To Mary and the Saints

Before I tell you why I pray "to" Mary and the Saints, let's get one thing straight. Catholics do not worship Mary. The Church specifically permits only the worship of the one Holy Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Church does encourage us to honor Mary and the Saints however. Mary is the mother of Jesus, so He honored her Himself, and we have this thing, as Christians, about imitating Jesus. Also, all the rest of the Saints are people who are in Heaven, and we also have this thing, as Christians, about wanting to go to Heaven so we tend to look up to the Saints since they have done what we wish to do (so cooperate with God's grace as to be made truly holy and to be fully united with Him in Heaven.)

I should also clarify that I don't really pray to  Mary and the Saints, I pray with them. Specifically, I ask them to pray for me. Kind of like how I ask my wife to pray for me. When I ask my wife to pray for me, I expect her to pray to Jesus and the Father, and I expect my prayer to be answered by Jesus and the Father. When the answer comes, I thank my wife for her prayers for me, and I thank God for being the One who answered them. The glory belongs to God, but my wife still deserves some recognition.

It's much the same with Mary and the saints. The main difference is that they are not physically present when I ask them to pray for me. This confuses some people, because all Christians speak to a God who is not physically present, but not all of them speak to people who aren't physically present. Most of them do however, most Christians are Catholic, or Orthodox, and most of them regularly ask for prayers from people who are not physically present: they ask for prayers from people who are in Heaven, the saints.

People who are in Heaven have died, but they are not dead. Like Jesus. Now, Jesus has already rose from the dead, and the saints will not do so until the last day, but alas, they are now alive in Heaven nonetheless. Jesus came to give us eternal life. So when Catholics ask for prayers from the Saints, we are not talking to dead people. The Saints are alive, in Heaven. They are with Christ, so they are if anything more alive than we are now.

How do they hear our requests for their prayers? They hear them because they are fully united with Christ, and Christ hears all our prayers.

So why ask for the prayers of the Saints, if Christ already hears them? That's an excellent questions. Why should I ask for my wife to pray for me, when Christ hears me ask her? When I ask my wife to pray for me, it gives me strength and comfort to know she is praying for me. I know that Christ likes it when people "agree in prayer." I know that it is good for her to pray for me because Christ loves to grant our requests for ourselves, but He loves it more when we selflessly request things for others. 

It's the same with Mary and the Saints. They are people - people alive in Heaven, people perfectly united with Christ - but they are people. Christ is a Savior, a Hero. He wants to come through for people, and the more people He comes through for, the greater it reflects the glory of His Father.

Another analogy: suppose I were a little child and my mother had a jar filled with cookies she had baked. I want one but I cannot reach the jar, up on the counter. I could ask my mother for a cookie, and she could give it to me and that would be good. I would be grateful to my mother for making me the cookies and for allowing me to have one.

I could also ask an older sibling, who can reach the jar, to get me the cookie. My older sibling, a very wise, kind, and obedient child, so he is willing to assist me. First he asks our mother if he may get a cookie for me. She agrees and then he gets it and brings it to me. This is also good. In fact, it is somewhat better. I still have a cookie due to the provision and permission of my mother, by I also have it via the assistance of my sibling.

When I thank my sibling for their help, my mother gets credit also. After all, if it were not for my mother I would not have a sibling. If it were not for the training and direction of my mother, my sibling would not be wise and kind, and may not be willing to get the cookie for me. Think about it? How much do parents love it when others praise their child for a good deed?

In much the same way God delights when His children bless one another in His name.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!