From earliest times, Christians have turned to their holy predecessors for help. Some of us may find it strange to pray to the dead, even the saintly dead. Yet the custom crops up in nearly every religion. The saints link earth and heaven, life and afterlife. By virtue of their exemplary lives, it is said, they now sit with God. One prays to a saint to intercede with God, fountain of all goodness. The saint becomes a beloved friend, to whom one turns for advice, succor, and companionship.
— Philip Zaleski, The Recollected Heart