But some say that we should not ask the Saints to pray for us, thus:

1. No one asks a man's friends to intercede for him except in so far as
he thinks that he can obtain a favour more easily through them. But God
is infinitely more merciful than any Saint, and consequently His Will is
more readily inclined to hear us than is the will of any Saint. Whence
it would seem superfluous to make the Saints mediators between ourselves
and God, and so ask them to intercede for us.

But just as it is not by reason of any deficiency on the part of
the Divine Power that It works through the mediumship of
secondary causes, whereas it rather tends to the fulfilment of
the harmony of the universe that His Goodness should be more
copiously diffused upon things, so that things not only receive
from Him their own peculiar goodness, but themselves become a
source of goodness to other things as well; so in the same way
it is not by reason of any lack of mercy on His part that appeal
to His mercy by means of the prayers of the Saints is fitting;
but this is done in order that the aforesaid harmony may be
preserved.

2. If we ought to ask the Saints to pray for us, it can only be because
we know that their prayers are acceptable to God. But the more saintly
is a Saint, the more acceptable is his prayer to God. Consequently we
ought always to make the greater Saints our intercessors with God, and
never the lesser ones.

Yet although the greater Saints are more acceptable to God than
are the lesser ones, it is still useful to pray sometimes to the
lesser Saints. And this for five reasons: Firstly, because a man
sometimes has a greater devotion to some lesser Saint than to
one who is greater; and the efficacy of our prayers depends very
much on our devotion. Secondly, in order to avoid weariness; for
unremitting application to one thing begets distaste; but when
we pray to various Saints fresh devotional fervour is stirred up
in practically each case. Thirdly, because certain Saints are
appointed the patrons of certain particular cases, so S. Antony
for the avoidance of hell-fire. Fourthly, that so we may show
due honour to them all. Fifthly, because sometimes a favour may
be gained at the prayer of many which would not be gained at the
prayer of one alone.

3. Christ, even as man, is termed _the Saint of Saints_;[281] and it
belongs to Hi