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In the third month, Comparini lost all the amniotic fluid. Without the natural protection, the unborn child normally would have died, yet the girl was born in May 2000. The birth is scientifically inexplicable. Her parents, who prayed to Molla, called the baby Gianna Maria.

OK...as a non-Catholic Christian, help me with this one.

With all the saints that have been confirmed -- so to speak -- because of miracles attributed to them, why, with someone's life hanging in the balance, would someone waste their time by praying to someone who wasn't a saint yet?

Well, Gianna Beretta had been beatified, which means that she was practically a saint. Someone has to have two miracles attributed to them to be beatified. Also, since the Comparini's situation was similar to the circumstances surrounding Gianna's case, they probably felt a special connection to Gianna, and trusted that she was in Heaven for her heroic action. They probably also thought that if they were granted a miracle, it would help Gianna's cause for canonization, which would be another incentive to pray to her for help. A beatified person is very nearly a saint, so praying to them isn't entirely a "waste of time." And, you can be a saint - meaning, you're in Heaven - without being officially declared one.

The most difficult repentance for dyed-in-the-wool Catholics is changing their minds from thoughts of "meriting," "earning," "being good enough," simply to accepting with empty hands the gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus. To refuse to accept what God commands is the same sin as that of the religious Jews of Paul's time, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3)

So it is as Christ Jesus Himself said, He died in place of the believer, the One for many (Mark 10:45), His life a ransom for many. As He declared, ...this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). This is also what Peter proclaimed, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..." (I Peter 3:18).

Paul's preaching is summarized at the end of II Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.." (II Cor. 5:21).

This fact, dear reader, is presented clearly to you in the Bible. Acceptance of it is now commanded by God, "...Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

Lots of Christians, even Catholic Christians, ask others to pray for them. I'm not waiting for them to be canonized before I ask my friends and family to pray for me, and I don't consider asking them to do so a waste of time. (Also, though I am definitely not currently canonization material, I pray for others.)

Praying to a saint or to the blessed is nothing more than asking them to pray for you. Part of the confusion, I imagine, comes from the way "pray" and "prayer" are now used almost exclusively in religious (ot legal) contexts and are otherwise archaic.

The remark about RC teaching about merit, which seems to overlook merit itself being a gift, is not really relevant here. Whatever one's thinking about sola fide or sola gratia, most of us still ask for one another's prayers - which is what we Catholics are doing when we pray to a saint. "... pray for us sinners ...." says the Ave.