One of the many, special characteristics of Christ's Church on earth is the teaching that we can, and should, venerate the Saints in heaven - with the added blessing that we can ask them, who are so dear and close to Almighty God, to pray on our behalf. History bears witness to the countless favors and miracles wrought through the intercession of the Saints since apostolic times. While the Jews had the true religion (until their Messiah came in the person of Jesus Christ), it did not include the practice of praying to holy "dead people" - as non-catholics may be prone to comment! Prayer to those who have died is not found in the Old Testament scriptures. Although this practice of praying to Saints in heaven is so prominent for Christians down through the centuries, it still does not appear in the New Testament scriptures. Protestants, who believe in "private interpretation" while ignoring history and "tradition", reject prayer to the Saints largely because they erroneously accept only that tradition which is written. But as St. Paul clearly says in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2:14): "brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle."
Catholics know there are unwritten traditions, and this prevents us from becoming concerned that the New Testament does not mention praying to the Saints in heaven. But for those who want a reason, the matter is simple - heaven was not opened for mankind until the Redemption was completed! If heaven was closed during the Old Testament times, both written and unwritten Jewish Teaching would logically not include such a mention of it. In fact, it was shortly before the birth of the Church at Pentecost that the souls of the Just were first lead by Christ from "Abraham's bosom" into heaven. Only from that moment were they in the position to "pray for us". However, living Christians were already accustomed to praying mutually for each other while on earth. This was practiced in the Old Testament as we can see with Abraham, Moses and Job; and it continued into the New, where St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, "Brethren, pray for us." (1 Thess. 5:25)
The Church grew quickly from the "mustard seed" it was compared to, but all was not complete for many years. For instance, we know from Church teaching that Divine Revelation officially ended with the death of the last Apostle, Saint John. That was about 63 years after the ascension of Our Lord. We know, too, that it was not until 24 years after Our Lord ascended that St. Luke wrote his Gospel. Unknown to most Protestants is the fact that the New Testament scriptures were not compiled into "the Bible" until almost three centuries after Christ walked the earth. So it must have also taken some years for the faithful, as a whole, to have taken full advantage of the prayers of the Saints in heaven. The Resurrection was new and fresh in the minds of the early Christians. With a lively hope, they lived this truth with thoughts of eternal life being close at hand. They referred quite simply to those who died as having "fallen asleep in the Lord". As more and more Christians experienced their fellow man die, it was quite natural to continue asking them to "pray" for them beyond the grave if they appeared to have died in great holiness - which would mean they had been save and gone to directly to heaven. The people of the Old Testament looked to Moses to pray for them, because they new he was close to God, and so it was with the Christians, who asked the prayers of those deceased they recognized as being very holy up until their death. And we see the practice accelerate quite rapidly and continue throughout the centuries unabated as the graces flowed abundantly through the intercession of the Saints.
Naturally, Christians recognized Jesus Christ's mother Mary to be a special Saint to pray to. What more powerful prayer could be made on our behalf than by the Mother of God herself? We venerate her far above all the other saints as she was endowed with the special privilege of being born without the stain of original sin, chosen to give birth to our Creator, and lived her whole life free from sin, and with the highest degree of all virtue! We find in St. John's Gospel the account showing us the power of Our Lady's intercession (John 2:1-9):
1 And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there.
By inspiration of the Holy Ghost, St. John has related this story for us to have us realize that - even though it was not time for Jesus to perform His first public miracle, Our Lady's request was nevertheless granted, and the miracle was performed. We indeed have a special advocate in heaven! It is interesting to note that of the four Gospels, only St. John has related this story - Matthew, Mark and Luke do not mention it. This may very well be because St. John's Gospel was written about a year before his Apocalypse. This latter contains prophecies concerning the last days in the Church where Our Lady is expected to take a singular role. The Apocalypse mentions (12:1,17):
"a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars....And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
We see likewise how devotion to the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary has increased over the centuries; with the many approvals by Popes, finally coming to a climax with the miracle at Fatima in 1917 which involved the sun, and laid special emphasis on devotion to the Mother of God, especially by saying the daily Rosary in order to lessen or prevent unprecedented sufferings for the world.
Below is a first hand account of an amazing conversion of a sinner through the intercession of Our Lady. It was written by the venerable Passionist priest, Fr. Germanus, in 1913. He was the spiritual director of St. Gemma Galgani until her death. Saint Gemma was an Italian laywoman who died in 1903 at age 25, after years of suffering the passion of Our Lord each week. She was canonized in 1940 by Pope Pius XII. This account was taken from, "The Life of St. Gemma Galgani".
By Fr. Germanus, C.P. (1913):
The subject of the ecstasy was the conversion of a sinner, and the form was a wrestling between the blessed maiden and the Divine Justice to obtain this conversion. I confess that I never beheld anything more affecting. The dear child was sitting on her bed with her eyes, face and all her person turned toward a part of the room where Our Lord appeared to her. She was not agitated, but earnest and resolute, like one in a struggle who is determined to win at any cost. She began by saying, "As Thou hast come, Jesus, I renew my supplications for my sinner. He is Thy child and my brother; save him, Jesus"; and she named him. He was a stranger whom she had met in Lucca, and moved by spiritual impulse, she had already warned him very often by word of mouth and by letter to listen to the dictates of his conscience and not be contented with the mere public reputation of being a good Christian.
Jesus seeming disposed to deal as a just Judge with this man, remained unmoved by the entreaties of His servant. But she, nowise deterred, rejoined: "Why today, O Jesus, dost Thou not heed me? For one soul only Thou hast done so much! Why then wilt Thou not save this other one? Save him, Jesus, save him. Be good, Jesus. Do not say that to me. In Thy mouth, Who art Mercy itself, that word `abandon' sounds bad. Thou must not say it. Thou hast not measured the Blood Thou hast shed for sinners, and now dost Thou wish to measure the enormity of our sins? Dost Thou not heed me? And I, to whom must I turn? Thou hast shed Thy Blood for him as well as for me. Wilt Thou save me and not him? I will not rise from here. Save him. Promise me that Thou wilt save him. I offer myself victim for all, but particularly for him. I promise not to refuse Thee anything. Dost Thou grant it me? It is a soul. Remember, O Jesus, it is a soul that has cost Thee so much. He will become good and not relapse."
In answer to all her entreaties, Our Lord put forward the Divine Justice. But she, growing still more fervent, replied: "I am not seeking Thy Justice. I am imploring Thy Mercy. Then Jesus, go in search of that poor sinner; press him to Thy Heart and Thou wilt see that he will be converted. At least try it . . . Listen, Jesus, Thou sayest that Thou hast made many forcible attempts to convince him, but Thou hast not called him `son.' Try that now, and tell him that Thou art his Father and that he is Thy child. Thou wilt find that on hearing this sweet name of `Father,' his hardened heart will soften." And here Our Lord, to prove to His servant what reason He had for remaining firm, began to show her one by one, with the most minute circumstances of time and place, the evil deeds of that sinner, adding that he had filled up their measure. The poor child showed her dismay. She let her hands fall and heaved a deep sigh, as if she had almost lost the hope of succeeding. But quickly recovering from the shock, she returned to the attack.
"I know, Jesus," she said, "I know it, that he has offended Thee thus grievously. But I have done worse and, for all that, Thou hast shown me Mercy. I know, I know, O Jesus, that he has made Thee weep. But now, Jesus-Thou must not think of his sins. Thou must think of the Blood Thou hast shed. What immense Charity, O Jesus, hast Thou not lavished on me! Use with my sinner, I implore of Thee, all those delicacies of Infinite Love that Thou hast used toward me. Remember, Jesus, that I want his salvation. Triumph, triumph, I ask him of Thee in Charity."
In spite of all these efforts, Our Lord remained inflexible, and Gemma again relapsed into anguish and discouragement, remaining silent, as if she had abandoned the strife. Then, all of a sudden, another motive flashed to her mind that seemed invincible against all resistance. She became all animated and spoke thus: "Well, I am a sinner. Thou Thyself hast told me so, that worse than me Thou couldst not find. Yes, I confess it, I am unworthy that Thou shouldst listen to me. But look, I present Thee another advocate for my sinner; it is Thine own Mother who asks Thee to forgive him. Oh, imagine saying no to Thy Mother! Surely Thou canst not say no to her. And now answer me, Jesus, say that Thou hast saved my sinner." The victory was gained, the whole scene changed aspect, the tenderhearted Saviour had granted the grace, and Gemma, with a look of indescribable joy, exclaimed: "He is saved, he is saved! Thou hast conquered, Jesus; triumph always thus." And then she came out of the ecstasy.
This most affecting scene lasted quite half an hour. The words in which I have described it were in part taken down in writing, and in part preserved in my memory, from which I have faithfully drawn them. When it was over, having withdrawn to my room, with my mind engrossed by a thousand thoughts, I suddenly heard a tap at my door. "A strange gentleman, Father, has called and wishes to see you."
I bade him come in. He threw himself at my feet sobbing and said: "Father, hear my Confession." Good God! I thought my heart would burst. It was Gemma's sinner, converted that same hour. He accused himself of all that I had heard repeated by her in the ecstasy. He had forgotten one thing only, and I was able to remind him of it. I consoled him, told him what had just happened, got his permission to narrate these wonders of the Lord, and after a mutual embrace we parted. Some years have passed since that event, and I still seem to find myself present at it. In my copious notes I have particulars of other conversions similar in many ways to that just described and equally well authenticated. For the sake of brevity and to avoid uncalled-for repetition, I have not given them here.
2 And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine.
4 And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? My hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece.
7 Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it.
9 And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water....
Saint Gemma Galgani, pray for us!
My feelings on that occasion, still vivid in my memory, baffle explanation. Our Lord was then assuredly preparing me to see great things by which every shadow of doubt remaining in my mind should be dispelled. It happened to be Thursday, and about the middle of supper, Gemma, feeling signs of the coming ecstasy, rose from the table and left the room. After a little time her adopted mother came to call me. I followed her and found the child in ecstasy.
