Someone sent me the video below with this comment:
Please consider the video below and give me your thoughts:
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun.
Firstly, we have to be very careful to define what ‘dead’ means in this context. As we know, believers are assured ‘Eternal Life’, pretty much as Jesus reassured Martha concerning the death of her brother Lazarus; “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:24-25)
So how can we correctly interpret Ecclesiastes 9:5?
Simply put this scripture refers to those who departed unjustified or outside God’s ‘friendship’. It clearly states that they have NO more rewards and they have PERISHED (meaning, NOT obtained Eternal Life, the believers reward) with their love, hatred and envy. They have no share in the world to come. Clearly, this scripture does NOT refer to God’s saints, those who lived by the Gospel and confessed Jesus as their Savior. Otherwise, how could anyone even hope for a life in Glory once their earthly life ended?
Before I proceed, let us reflect on another piece of Scripture:
For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does. ( 1Peter 4:6)
Now, the Catholic Church teaches that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, and that this body is formed both by the souls of the saints departed, as well as by the faithful and Saints in the temporal world (living people). The Church teaches also that within the Body of Christ there is what is called the Communion of the Saints, both on earth and in heaven, as it’s stated in our Creed:
[…] We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of the Saints and LIFE EVERLASTING.
Catholics believe that the Saints departed, who are also part of the Mystical Body of the Christ have attained EVERLASTING life! Therefore, just as the Bible says, they are NOT dead, but they live in Heaven in the Glory of God.
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8)
There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (Mt 17:2)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25)
Catholics, just as all other Christians, DO NOT pray to ‘dead’ people. But as seen in the Scriptures, ‘dead’ may refer to those who have perished and NOT entered Heaven or gained Eternal Life. Catholics pray for the intercession of the Saints of God, who live in Glory in Heaven and have obtained Eternal life, not eternal punishment.
Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about the Communion of the Saints:
947 Why do we believe this? Saint Paul explained that the body is corruptible when it is buried, but it will be incorruptible when raised.
“It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a SPIRITUAL body” (1 Corinthians 15:43-44).
With this said, I would like to move to a second, but equally important point, that concerns the character of our prayers or petitions. Let us clarify that the word prayer comes from the Latin route that means “ to ask”.
The RCC forbids ANY sort of Adoration or Prayer of Praise that is not addressed to GOD alone. Obviously, since we believe in the Holy Trinity, prayers of Adoration can also be addressed to the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
However, to Saints, and this includes Mary, we can ONLY address prayers that are intercessory, but NEVER of adoration or worship!
Therefore, we “ask” the Saints, since they are in Heaven and have attained a much higher spiritual Growth than we have, to pray to the Lord on our behalf, much in the same way as we do when we pray for a friend’s prayer or pray ourselves for those who ask for our prayers.
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel[…]
1 Tim 2:5-6 – therefore, it is because Jesus Christ is the one mediator before God that we can be subordinate mediators. Jesus is the reason.
The Catholic position gives Jesus the most glory. He does it all but loves us so much He desires our participation.
Proverbs 15:8, 29 – the prayers of the righteous (the saints) have powerful effects. This is why we ask for their prayers.
In the letter of James (James 5:16), we read: How much more powerful are the saints’ prayers in heaven, in whom righteousness has been perfected.
In the OT we see these examples of intercession of Heavenly being on behalf of the living:
“But at that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people: and a time shall come, such as never was from the time that nations began, even until that time. And at that time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written in the book.” -Daniel 12:1
“Behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.”-Daniel 10:13
Because we think the prayers of the righteous are strong and full of power and because they are willing to cooperate for our salvation.
“Since all the faithful form one body, the good of each is communicated to the others…. We must therefore believe that there exists a communion of goods in the Church. But the most important member is Christ, since he is the head….
Therefore, the riches of Christ are communicated to all the members, through the sacraments.”478 “As this Church is governed by one and the same Spirit, all the goods she has received necessarily become a common fund.”479 (Eph 6:18-19).