THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
"We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always attentive to our prayers." CCC Paragraph 962 |
What is the Communion of Saints? by Jeff Cavins
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1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do. |
The 'Communion of Saints'
This term refers to the union of believers on Earth, in Heaven and also those in Purgatory.
All form part of the body of Christ.
Each group is identified by the following terms:
Church Triumphant - The Saints in Heaven
Church Militant - Those on earth
Church Suffering (sometimes called Church Expectant) - Those in purgatory
Catholic belief indicates that those saints now in Heaven are able to intercede, not only for those on Earth, but also those in Purgatory. Their intercession is considered to be effective on account of their closeness to God. Also, those on Earth can intercede for those in Purgatory.
This can all be summarized in the following diagram:
This term refers to the union of believers on Earth, in Heaven and also those in Purgatory.
All form part of the body of Christ.
Each group is identified by the following terms:
Church Triumphant - The Saints in Heaven
Church Militant - Those on earth
Church Suffering (sometimes called Church Expectant) - Those in purgatory
Catholic belief indicates that those saints now in Heaven are able to intercede, not only for those on Earth, but also those in Purgatory. Their intercession is considered to be effective on account of their closeness to God. Also, those on Earth can intercede for those in Purgatory.
This can all be summarized in the following diagram:
The union of the saints in heaven with us in the Eucharist
is expressed in a delightful story about a parish priest
on a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea.
One day a visitor asked the pastor, “How many people usually worship here on Sunday?” The priest’s answer was, “Oh, about ten to twelve thousand, I would suppose.” The visitor was somewhat bewildered. “This is a tiny island,” she said, “and the church is small. Where do all these people come from and how can they possibly fit into so small a church building?”
The priest smiled and then said to the visitor, “All the people who ever lived on this island since it received the gospel message are still here. Just think of what we say in the sacred liturgy: 'Therefore with all the angels and the saints and the whole company of the faithful we praise your glory forever.’ Don’t you realize,” he added,
“that when we sing the Trisagion [Holy, Holy, Holy] we are joining with
all the holy ones who have ever worshiped in this church?”
How appropriate it is for us to be aware that when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist many more are present and active than mortal vision is able to see. It is worth noting too that it is not they who join us, but we who join them. We and the saints are related as friends,
especially friends around the altar, but also friends in carrying on the
unfinished tasks which they left to us.
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