The Church as The Communion of Saints

The Church as The Communion of Saints Chapter 7 Theology 2 Mr. Perrotti

Prayer • Lord today let us remember all of those who have gone before us, especially those in Purgatory who need our prayers or have no one to pray for them. • Teach us to live a life as the Saints did, Christ like, full of faith and one in the Mystical Body of Christ. For this and all the intentions of our class we pray and thank you! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XzHlySYR_Y.com

What does the communion of saints mean? • The communion of saints means the union which exists between the members of the Church on earth with one another, • and with the blessed in heaven • and with the suffering souls in purgatory. After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles' Creed adds "the communion of saints.“ "What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?"

From the Catechism of the Church • "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. • But the most important member is Christ, since he is the head. . . . • Therefore, the riches of Christ are communicated to all the members, through the sacraments.“ • "As this Church is governed by one and the same Spirit, all the goods she has received necessarily become a common trust.“ The Communion of Saints

Communion of Saints • The term "communion of saints" therefore has two closely linked meanings: • communion in holy things (sancta)" • and "among holy persons (sancti)." • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slCkmsMq4ec.com

Mortal saints • First of all, we can understand “communion of saints” as referring to ourselves as the community of believers. • On the feast of all saints, we might hail one another with the words “happy feast day,” indicating by such a greeting that we think that despite our sinfulness, • we are saints in the sense that we belong to the community of people called to be saints.

We are Mortal Saints • We rightly deserve to be called saints, as people baptized into Christ. • For Baptism unites us to Jesus, the Holy One of God. • And united to Jesus we are united and related to one another. • We constitute a communion. • The communion of saints is another way of designating the Church.

Immortal Saints • There is a second way in which we use the term “communion of saints,” namely, to designate those who have entered through death into the fullness of God. • Thus, the communion of saints in this context refers to the blessed in heaven.

Communion of saints—all of us! • There is a third way in which we use the term “communion of saints.” • It is really a combination of the first two. • This combined communion of saints includes all of us who are more or less saints (some more, some less) • plus all those who have entered into full communion with God. We are all related because Baptism is so strong a link that not even death can break it.

The Litany of Saints • A very special prayer asking the Litany ( a list of selected Saints) to pray for us. • To intercede or what we call intercessions, speak to God on our behalf. • The Litany of Saints is an important part of the Liturgy especially at Easter time! • Listen! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWt5y301BSY.com

The Church as the Communion of Saints • The Church Militant • This is the pilgrim Church on earth, it is composed of Christ’s Faithful here on earth. The Church Suffering • Includes those in Purgatory who have died in communion with God but have not yet been purified. The Church Triumphant • Which is the heavenly Church in Glory • These are not three Churches, but on one Church in Christ!

These different parts of the Church are one • Because Jesus is still the head of all three parts-His Mystical Body • The Holy Spirit still gives all the parts unity, life and grace. • The same Goal – To reach eternal happiness in the Kingdom of God.

What is an Indulgence • A freeing from a penalty. • An indulgence is the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God's justice, to sin that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the Church in the exercise of the power of the keys, through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and of the saints, and for some just and reasonable motive.

What an indulgence is not • It is not a permission to commit sin, nor a pardon of future sin; neither could be granted by any power. It is not the forgiveness of the guilt of sin; • It does not confer immunity from temptation or remove the possibility of subsequent lapses into sin. • Least of all is an indulgence the purchase of a pardon which secures the buyer's salvation or releases the soul of another from Purgatory.

Partial verses Plenary Indulgence • Partial Indulgence removes a part of the temporal punishment due to sin. • Plenary Indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment due to sin. • Remember we must reconcile for our sins. • Certain Devotions give us partial and Plenary Indulgences. • First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart is a Plenary Indulgence.

Who can give and gain • The Church herself can give, because she is the minister of salvation. • The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply to the souls in Purgatory. • The Pieta is full of Indulgences and devotions.

What is the basis of the effectiveness of an indulgence? • An indulgence is an act of faith on the part of a member of the Church Militant that requires an offering, sacrifice or prayer in imitation of Christ and the Saints. • The act builds virtue and allows us to receive grace. • For this we are rewarded from the “treasury of merits” – The grace won for us by Christ

What does it mean to be a Saint • Saints, broadly speaking, are those who follow Jesus Christ and live their lives according to his teaching. • Catholics, however, also use the term narrowly to refer to especially holy men and women who, through extraordinary lives of virtue, have already entered Heaven. • Live a Life that Christ lived as Saint Francis did! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VSyuar6oF8.com

What does it mean to be a Saint • The word "saint" literally means "holy," and, in the New Testament, "saint" referred to all who believed in Jesus Christ and followed his teachings. • St. Paul often addressed his epistles to "the saints" of a particular city • The word "saint" thus became more narrowly applied to such people, who were venerated after their deaths as saints, usually by the members of their local church or the Christians in the region where they lived, because they were familiar with their good deeds.

What does it mean to be a Saint • The Catholic Church created a process, called "canonization," through which such venerable people could be recognized as saints by all Christians everywhere. • Most of the saints whom we refer to by that title (for instance, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton) have gone through this process of canonization. • Others, such as St. Peter and St. Paul, received the title through acclamation, or the universal recognition of their holiness.

Canonized or Acclaimed • Catholics believe that both types of saints (canonized and acclaimed) are already in Heaven, which is why one of the requirements for the canonization process is proof of miracles performed by the possible saint after his death. • Canonized saints can be venerated anywhere and prayed to publicly, and their lives are held up to Christians still struggling here on earth as examples to be imitated.

Steps of Sainthood • How can we become a saint? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY39tXZDPrg.com

The Church as The Communion of Saints