Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: MNHCC@cunyvm.bitnet Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: st. jude Message-ID: Date: 26 May 91 05:31:46 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center Lines: 22 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Romain, It is true that Catholics see asking St. Jude, St. Paul, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Virgin Mary, or any other saint to pray for us is no different from asking another Christian here on Earth to pray for us. The saints in Heaven have died, in this world's terms, but they live in Christ, and Christ has conquered death. The problem with that novena to St. Jude is that it guarantees that God will grant the request being made. That is why the Catholic Church condemns that kind of "prayer" as superstition. This condemnation applies only to ones like that that guarantee results. In itself, a novena is a legitimate form of devotion. The word comes from the Latin word for nine, and a novena consists of praying the same prayers, or enganging in the same kind of devotion for nine consecutive days, the same day of the week for nine consecutive weeks, etc. There is nothing magic about the number nine. The nine days of a novena commenorate the nine days the Apostles spent in prayer between the Ascension and Pentecost. As a matter of practical psychology it is easier to persevere in some special prayer if one has a fixed, attainable goal. If someone says he will pray a special prayer every day for nine days, he probably will do it.He can then start another novena if he wants to. However, if he just decide to pray the prayer he may easily stop, and then give up. Marty Helgesen