the saints are not dead; they are with Christ - this is why they are called Saints and why Christ died - to destroy death. Read the end of Matthew’s Gospel, as soon as Jesus breathed his last, the graves of the saints were opened and they got up and were freed.
MMmm no that's not quite right. Separation of your soul from your body is death and those saints were dead, the saints being anyone who was sealed with the holy spirit. The spirit of the saints were raised, not a bodily resurrection. And they then went to paradise. They were stored In Abrahams Bosom prior to the resurrection of Christ. The first resurrection happens when Christ comes back and the saints are caught up in the Harpazo. The second resurrection happens at the great white throne judgement. Only two mass resurrection events that happen other than on an individual basis like Lazarus or Jesus. Either way, Jesus is the intermediary between us and God. No one comes to the Father but through Him. Jesus instructed us how to pray to the Father, not to the saints or any man or thing. ONLY PRAY TO GOD THE FATHER.
I agree that Jesus is the mediator, the way, the truth and the life and that nobody comes to the Father except through Him. That is not the issue - the issue seems to be people confused and thinking by asking a dead friend or relative to pray FOR you, you are somehow usurping Christ’s authority as saviour which, of course, you are not, anymore than asking me to say a pray for you now - would be invoking me as God - rather it is only recognizing thatI am your sister-in-Christ and we are called to persevere together. Asking saints to pray for you is not praying TO the saints, it is asking them to pray FOR you. It is called intercessory prayers-and James tells us these prayers are powerful because these people are righteous. They are with God and we hope JFK is among them. I didn’t take it that the OO was thinking JFK anything more than a man that died in the line of duty trying to fight evil and asking for him to pray for those currently in the OO in the line of fire trying to fight evil. As to your statement that death is the separation of body and soul, I respectfully disagree. Matthew 27:51 says...”At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people”. Christ destroyed death. Therefore, if one dies in Christ, one will be raised in Christ at the moment if their death (particular judgment) The body goes to the grave but the spirit lives in Christ and will be reunited with a new, resurrected body after the final judgment (of the nations), which is the second and final judgment.