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 gifts, but  they  are  able  to  obtain  them  for  us  from God.

The saints,  moreover,  do  not  only  pray  for mankind in  general,  but  for  their  clients  in  particular. As co-reigners  with  Christ,  the  denizens of heaven  have  knowledge  of  the  conditions  and events of  His  kingdom;  hence  the  saints  may  pray for us  individually;  therefore  it  is  permissible and profitable  for  us  to  invoke  them. It is  obvious that  the  knowledge  of  individual  occurrences does not  mar  the  bliss  of  the  saints. How they gain this  knowledge  is  not  clear  to  the  spiritual authors; but  most  of  them  incline  to  the  view that they  attain  it  by  direct  divine  mediation. God reveals  our  condition  and  our  invocation  to the  saints.

Can we  doubt  the  willingness  of  the  saints  to aid  us  by  their  intercession? According to St. Paul, charity  is  the  greatest  of  all  virtues. If, then, the  saints,  whilst  on  earth  loved  their fellow-men, cared  for  and  prayed  for  them,  how much more  will  they  do  so  now,  when  their charity is  perfected? They, too,  were  pilgrims  on earth,  who  had  to  suffer  the  adversities  and miseries of  life  and  therefore  know  by  experience how sorely  in  need  of  divine  assistance  we  poor mortals are. Persons who  have  themselves  experienced trials  have  more  compassion  for  the adversities of  others. Therefore it  is  certain  that