One of the most common challenges Catholics face from non-Catholic Christians is this question: “How can you ask Mary to pray for you? She’s not God! She can’t even hear you!”

But here’s the short answer: Mary can pray for us because she’s in heaven. And being in heaven — in the very presence of God — means something extraordinary for those who die in Christ.

In this list of Catholic Bible Highlights, we’re going to open our Bibles and highlight the key Scripture passages that show why Catholics ask for the prayers of Mary and the saints in heaven — and why it’s not just permitted, but deeply biblical!

The Theological Matrix: 9 Big Ideas

Let’s look at 9 biblical ideas that form the foundation for Catholic teaching on the intercession of the saints:

1. Our participation in the life of the Trinity begins at Baptism and Confirmation (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:14-17).
2. Even now, Christians participate in God’s supernatural life through spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-13; James 5:16; Ephesians 3:18-20).
3. The saints in heaven are very much alive (Mark 12:26-27; John 8:52; John 11:26).
4. The saints in heaven pray, rejoice, and know what’s happening on earth (Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4; Luke 15:7; Hebrews 12:1).
5. We are in communion with the saints through the body of Christ — not through sorcery, but through the Spirit (Hebrews 12:22-24).
6. The saints in heaven are the best version of themselves, perfected in Christ (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Philippians 3:21).
7. Heaven is the new temple — the body of Jesus is where we meet God and one another (Revelation 21:22; John 2:19-22).
8. In heaven, the saints are like Jesus — going where He goes, hearing what He hears, and knowing what He knows (Revelation 14:1-5; Romans 8:29).
9. And that’s why we can ask them to pray for us — because they are alive, perfected, and in communion with us through Christ.

The Biblical Framework for Asking the Saints for Prayer

Catholics don’t believe that Mary or any of the saints are gods. We believe — because the Bible teaches — that:

• The saints are alive in heaven (Mark 12:27).
• They pray for us (Revelation 6:10).
• They rejoice over us (Luke 15:7).
• They see us and witness our journey of faith (Hebrews 12:1).
• They participate in our prayers, offering them before God (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4).

Is This Necromancy? Is This Idolatry?

No — it’s biblical communion. Asking the saints for prayer is not conjuring the dead. It’s participating in the Body of Christ, where death no longer separates us (Romans 8:38-39).

In the Body of Christ — in heaven and on earth — we pray for one another (James 5:16). And the saints in heaven, perfected and united to Christ, are doing exactly what Christians have always done: praying for their brothers and sisters.

A Biblical Prayer to Close

Let’s end the post with a beautiful biblical prayer that Catholics have prayed for centuries — asking the greatest of all saints, Mary the Mother of God, to pray for us:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Keep reading your Bible. Keep highlighting these verses. Keep sharing your faith. The saints in heaven are alive, praying, and cheering you on — and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is one of them. Ask her to pray for you. It’s biblical. It’s beautiful. And it’s Catholic.