In favour of praying to the Saints.
A defense of praying to the Saints and to our Holy Mother for intercession.
What is praying?
Praying linguistically means to ask for or petition. Old Shakespeare literature contains a bunch of "I pray thee do something" for example. The argument against asking the Saints to intercede for us comes from a Protestant understanding that prayer is always an act of worship, which it isn't according to linguistics, the Catholic Church and the early Church Fathers.
Praying for a friend
When you ask a friend to pray for you, you are asking them to intercede on your behalf. When you pray for the victims of a hurricane, you are interceding on their behalf. Intercession is therefore something that we already acknowledge actually exists.
The prayer of a righteous person
James 5:16
... The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
The prayer of a righteous person is more effective. Now the question is: who are the most righteous people that we can ask to pray for us considering that their prayers are more effective?
The Saints are alive in heaven
Jesus speaking in Matthew 22:32, Mark 12:27, Luke 20:38
"... He is not God of the dead, but of the living."
The Early Church on intercession
Saint Cyprian of Carthage (Letters 56:5, A.D. 252)
... Let us on both sides always pray for one another. ...
Rylands Papyrus 470 (Circa A.D. 300)
Mother of God, [listen to] my petitions; do not disregard us in adversity, but rescue us from danger.
Saint Methodius of Philippi (Oration on Simeon and Anna 14, Circa A.D. 300)
Hail to you forever, you Virgin Mother of God, our unceasing joy, for to you do I again return. ... We pray you, the most excellent among women, who boastest in the confidence of your maternal honors that you would unceasingly keep us in remembrance. ...
... And also, O honored and venerable Simeon, ... be our patron and advocate with the Savior God. ...
Saint Augustine of Hippo (Reply to Faustus the Manichean, Circa A.D. 400)
It is true that Christians pay religious honor to the memory of the martyrs, both to excite us to imitate them, and to obtain a share in their merits and the assistance of their prayers.
Conclusion
Praying to the Saints and to our Holy Mother is appropriate because:
- Praying to others is simply asking them do something, it is not inherently worshipping them.
- We often ask our friends on earth for prayers on our behalf, which is the definition of intercession.
- The prayer of a righteous person is more effective.
- The most righteous people, in heaven, The Saints and our Holy Mother are alive in heaven.