Intercession is a living reality

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







Intercession is a living reality

The intercession of the saints for us is not merely a theological research text-proved from the Holy Bible, but it is a living reality we experience. It is a living history through the generations, narrating the amazing relationship between those who departed and those who are still living on earth. It is a living contact with the saints who truly pity our state more than we do to the extent that sometimes our problems are solved for us due to their intercessions for us without our request or prayers. They understand more than we do and they apply the verse: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Rom.12: 15) more than we do.
Intercession is proof of the bond between the members of the Church on earth and the members of the Church in heaven. It is one Church: one part of it is on earth, which we call Church Militant and the other part is in heaven which we call Church Triumphant. Both of them pray for each other.
Those who reject the intercession of the saints are in fact disregarding the marvellous miracles that occurred and are testified to by people, through the prayers of the saints on the occasion of their feasts or in their churches and monasteries. It appears that such dogmatic arguments in theology may of resulted in denial of factual history and day to day facts of life.
It suffices to mention the miracles which occurred by the appearance of the Virgin Mary in her Church at Zeitoon. Whether to Christians or Muslims, and which were documented by the people's oral and written testimonials. Also the miracles which occur in the name of St. George, Archangel Michael and other saints. All these should be sufficient to convince our Protestant brethren in coming to terms with the reality of the intercessions of the saints.
Read the life-stories of the saints and you will come to know about the intervention of the angels and saints in people's lives. You will see how they appear, foretell, give promises and guidance and bring good news of the birth of a saint from a barren mother or of God's choice of a saint for His ministry. As far as these people are concerned, the subject of their relationship with the saints is not a one day and night acquaintance but it is ages-long relationship. It is a relationship we can never destroy. It is a relationship between people, the angels and the saints. This is why many of these people find it difficult to understand the Protestant stance of rejecting the inseparable bond between the Church on earth and its members in heaven.