Communion of Saints. These are official names of the Church as relates to the Communion of Saints:

Transcription

1 Communion of Saints From the Apostle s Creed (ca 390) I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Used in Baptism and Easter Vigil (and in several devotional prayers) Definition com mun ion (k-mynyn)n 1. The act or an instance of sharing, as of thoughts or feelings. 2. Religious or spiritual fellowship. 3. A body of Christians with a common religious faith who practice the same rites; a denomination. Saint. Abbr. St. or S. Christianity A person officially recognized, especially by canonization, as being entitled to public veneration and capable of interceding for people on earth. A person who has died and gone to heaven. A virtuous person. So, it looks like there are 3 different kinds of Saints 1. A canonized, or official Saint. 2. Any person who has died after living a life virtuous enough to get to Heaven 3. Any living member of the church whose actions have not excluded him from entering Heaven. These are official names of the Church as relates to the Communion of Saints: The Church Militant - Those who are living The Church Triumphant - Those who have died and gone to Heaven The Church Expectant - Those in Purgatory (aka The Church Suffering, or The Church Penitent.)

2 The Church Militant The Latin word militans has a primary meaning of "serving as a soldier, military", but it acquired a secondary meaning of "to struggle, to make an effort", which is the intended sense here. Christians on earth (the Church Militant) are still struggling against sin in order that, when they die, they might go to heaven and be members of the Church Triumphant, those who have triumphed over sin. Although Christians may be separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer. The Church Expectant Many Christian Traditions hold to the notion that one s Final Destination depends solely on acceptance of Christ as your savior. The Catholic belief is that it is dependent upon the condition of your soul at the time of death. Since Nothing impure will ever enter it (Heaven) (Revelation 21-27) and no one knows the time, it follows that relatively good people may pass away with impurities that could keep them from entering Heaven. These souls enter a period of Purification in Purgatory. Purgatory Since souls in Purgatory are assured of entering Heaven they are part of the Communion of Saints However, they are no longer capable of atoning for their own transgressions We as Catholics believe that God hears the prayers of the faithful on Earth in granting their final delivery Prayers for the Dead Both the Old and New Testaments have references for praying for the dead: Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin. (2 Maccabees12:39-45) Moses prayed for Rueben after he had died. (Deuteronomy 33:6) Paul for Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16-18) Peter for Tabitha (Acts 9:36-42)

3 Spiritual Goods The Catechism states, "Since all the faithful form one body, the good of each is communicated to the others. We must therefore believe that there exists a communion of goods in the Church. (CCC 947) Supernatural Solidarity Second Vatican Council "By the hidden and kindly mystery of God's will a supernatural solidarity reigns among men. A consequence of this is that the sin of one person harms other people just as one person's holiness helps others. Council of Trent Every pious and holy action done by one belongs and is profitable to all, through charity which seeketh not its own. The Church as the Body of Christ "For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another" (Romans 12:4-5). No one person could equal God s Goodness A prism would be a good analogy. Christ s perfect white light as shone through the Church is broken into many smaller elements. Each saint is a small portion of that light.. The Lord alluded to the Church being His Body many time "May [they] be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one" (John 17:22-23). "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) Death does not separate us 1 Corinthians. 15:54-56 And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: "Death is swallowed up in victory.

4 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" Key Take Aways (Internal Summary) There is One Church That Church includes all Saints whether living or dead There is a solidarity or communion between all members of the Church So Where does that leave Us? Christ has always exhorted us to Love one another That command extends beyond the bounds of Earth As one Church in solidarity it is our duty to show care, concern, and charity to allour show of love for those who have gone before is encouraged, they, in turn, reciprocate that love The Communal Bond All Christian religions believe in Eternal Life Aside from simply cherishing memories of those who have left, we also offer prayers. Praying is our way of Spiritual Communication PRAYER To pray in English originally meant to ask or to entreat. Hence the Old English term pray tell Over the years the term to many has become synonymous with worship Prayer vs Worship In fact, the highest form of worship is not prayer but the Mass, Christ's own sacrifice on Calvary, re-presented for us in space and time. Catholics make a distinction between prayer and worship Worship is reserved for God alone

5 A prayer is, at times, a request by yourself or from others appealing to God. At other times it is an offer of your petition to God on the behalf of someone else Adoration/Veneration Only God is worthy of adoration and worship Saints are worthy of veneration and devotion Any fruits of veneration or devotion are gifts from God alone. All believers in prayer ask others to offer prayers for them. Churches, families and communities often bond together to support each other in prayer Intercession It is not uncommon for people of all faiths to offer prayers to God on behalf of someone close who has passed away. Also not uncommon is an appeal to a loved one that may be deceased Intercession is nothing more than a plea or prayer on your behalf requesting God s favor for someone else or, a request to someone else that they offer a plea or prayer to God requesting He shows favor on you Since Catholics believe that our Church extends beyond the space and time we are locked in on Earth, our request for intercession can extend to the Church Triumphant, those already in Heaven. We also may offer prayers for the Church Expectant. So do we pray to Saints? In a word, yes. Although that little word to gets kind of tricky. If we define it to mean we worship Saints it would be a definite NO. But if we refine it to mean if we ask them, as part of our family, to intercede on our behalf before God then it is still Yes Why not go straight to Jesus? Well, you can and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But the Only Jesus and Me philosophy may not fit completely perfectly in Christ s teachings A few Examples Jesus said that loving one another is second in importance only to loving God (Matthew 22:38, Mark 12:30, 1 Corinthians 13)

6 St. Paul extends this Christian charity to intercessory prayer when he exhorts Christians to pray, supplicate, and petition for all people. He emphasizes that intercessory prayer, is good and pleasing to God our savior. (1 Timothy 2:1) I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf. (Romans 15:30-32) The Road to Canonization Servant of God Venerable Blessed Saint This process has been in place since Servant of God Local Bishop gives permission to start investigation. 5 years after death. Committee is formed to investigate. Witnesses, writings, speeches, biography, etc Submitted to Rome At some point permission is granted to exhume and examine the body. Relics are taken There can be no signs of superstitious, cultish, or heretical worship. Venerable If enough information has been gathered and it is found that the candidate has exhibited Heroic Virtue in the theological realms of Faith, Hope, and Charity they are designated as Venerable. Prayer cards may be so that the Faithful may petition the person for a miracle.

7 Blessed Once it is proven that the individuals intercession was responsible for a miracle, it is seen as a sign from God that they are in His Beatific Vision. They are then declared Blessed. A Blessed person is given a Feast Day usually in his/her local area and Churches or other religious structures may bear their name. Unless you were a Martyr Sainthood If two or more miracles are attributed to the individual he or she is declared a Saint. A Feast Day is put on the Church Calendar in recognition and any Diocese may celebrate it. The Faithful may freely and without restriction honor the Saint. If two or more miracles are attributed to the individual he or she is declared a Saint. A Feast Day is put on the Church Calendar in recognition and any Diocese may celebrate it. The Faithful may freely and without restriction honor the Saint. Fast Track to Sainthood Incorruptibility. Your body does not decompose after death. There are about 250 of them. St. Catherine of Bologna ca Liquefaction of Blood Liquefaction of blood usually takes place on a certain schedule Sometimes during special events. St. Januarius died ca 305 in Naples. His blood liquefied 1389 There are about 190 cases. Martyrdom This used to be the only way until about 930 AD.

8 The Belief in Saints We find cases of the saints' intercession, and we consistently see that they're very much aware of what's happening on earth. (Luke 15:7 and Revelation 19:1-4.) The saints stand before the throne of the Lamb, before the gold altar in the heavenly sanctuary. They sing hymns of praise and offer up the prayers of the saints on earth, prayers that rise like billowing clouds of incense. (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4) I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. They cried out in a loud voice, How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth? (Revelation 6:9-10) Saintly Intercession We are informed in the Bible that the prayers of certain people are more effective than those of others "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. (John 5:16-18) We ask for prayers of the saints because they have more power than we do, having been made perfectly righteous Catholic Church Tradition holds many examples of Saintly Intercession Each Person has a small part of Christ The prism again is a good example. For instance, if your God Given Gifts fall in the infrared part of the spectrum but your problems lie within the ultraviolet range wouldn t it be wise to ask someone for help whose Gifts are within that range? Communion of Saints Conclusion v All the members of the communion are bound together under Christ their head, forming one mystical body that is properly called the Communion of Saints and cooperate by sharing their merits and prayers with one another.

9 v Thus, the members of the communion in heaven and in purgatory can intercede with us to the Father, and we can help to lighten the burdens of the souls in purgatory through our prayers for them. v It is this interaction between all members of Christ s Body that make a Communion of Saints. The belief in a spiritual relationship linking the souls on earth with those who have gone before us has its roots in sacred Scripture and has been confirmed by decrees of the Second Council of Nicaea, the Council of Florence, the Council of Trent, and the Second Vatican Council. Further references The teaching that the Church is Christ's Body is emphasized throughout the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 10:16 Ephesians 15 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Ephesians 25 Galatians 3:28 Ephesians 5:21-32 Ephesians 1:22-23 Hebrews 13:1-3 Ephesians 3:4-6 Colossians 1:18 Ephesians 4:4 Colossians 3:15 And for intercessory prayer Acts 8:24; 2 Cor. 13:7; Phil. 1:9; Gal. 5:13, 6:2; Eph. 4:32; 1 Thess. 3:10-12, 4:9-18, 5:14-15, 25; 2 Thess. 1:3, 3:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; 2 Tim. 1:3-4; Heb. 3:19, 13:18; Jas. 5:16; 1 Pet. 1:22, 3:8; 1 John 4:7-21; 2 John 5.

10