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The communion of the saints

PRETI, Mattia Christ in Glory c. 1660 Oil on canvas, 220 x 253 cm Museo del Prado, Madrid. The communion of the saints. 20. Compendium of the Catechism. 194. What is the meaning of the “communion of saints”? 946-953 960

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The communion of the saints

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  1. PRETI, Mattia Christ in Glory c. 1660 Oil on canvas, 220 x 253 cm Museo del Prado, Madrid The communion of the saints 20

  2. Compendium of the Catechism • 194. What is the meaning of the “communion of saints”? • 946-953960 • This expression indicates first of all the common sharing of all the members of the Church in holy things (sancta): the faith, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the charisms, and the other spiritual gifts. At the root of this communion is love which “does not seek its own interests” (1 Corinthians 13:5) but leads the faithful to “hold everything in common” (Acts 4:32), even to put one’s own material goods at the service of the most poor.

  3. Introduction • The Church is the body of Christ, to which all the faithful here on earth, those in purgatory and the saints in heaven belong. • And among these three groups there is a vital interrelation, similar to that of the members of a family, who make the family and help each other. • This communion of life and supernatural goods between the members of the Church with her Head, and among members themselves, is what we call the Communion of the saints. EYCK, Jan van The Ghent Altarpiece: Adoration of the Lamb (detail) 1425-29 Oil on wood Cathedral of St Bavo, Ghent

  4. Main ideas

  5. 1. Through Baptism we are incorporated within the body of the Church • With baptism we enter the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. • When we receive baptism we unite ourselves with Christ, who is theHead of this body, and we begin to become living members. • If we lose God’s grace, we detach ourselves from the Head and become dead members. POUSSIN, Nicolas The Sacrament of Baptism 1642 Oil on canvas, 95,3 x 121,6 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington

  6. 2. Each member is united to the other members • In the mystical body of Christ, grace is similar to the blood in the human body. • Grace and other God’s gifts set up a communion of supernatural grace between the members and the Head, and among the members themselves. DÜRER, Albrecht The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand 1508 Oil on canvas transferred from panel, 99 x 87 cm Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

  7. 3. The union among the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory and the faithful here on earth • The Church is made up of: • those who having being baptized live here on earth (militant Church), • the saints in heaven (triumphant Church), • and those who are purifying their souls before entering heaven (suffering Church). • These three states are united, since Christ, the only Head, is the life that vivifies everybody. CARRACCI, Lodovico An Angel Frees the Souls of Purgatory c. 1610 Oil on canvas, 44 x 51 cm Pinacoteca, Vatican

  8. 4. The communication of the fruits in the Church • In the Church takes place something similar to blood transfusions. • Christ’s grace, the merits of the Blessed Virgin and of the saints keep our soul alive like a blood transfusion keeps the body alive. • Our prayers and our good actions are like good blood that we give to others: our parents, brothers, friends, … and also to the souls in purgatory. • And the good actions of other members of the Church help our souls. UNKNOWN MASTER, Flemish Portrait of a Young Man at Prayer 1480s Oil on oak panel, 30,5 x 21,5 cm San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego

  9. 5. How to live the communion of saints • The best way to live the communion of saints is to receive the sacraments. Another way is to invoke the Blessed Virgin and the saints asking them to obtain for us many graces from God. • We could help the souls in purgatory offering mass, work and prayers because they are longing to enter God’s glory. • We could also help the militant Church –Christians who are still in pilgrimage here on earth—offering different things to God for their sake. RAFFAELLO Sanzio St George Fighting the Dragon 1505 Oil on wood, 32 x 27 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris

  10. Resolutions for Christian life

  11. Resolutions to move forward • One way to live the communion of saints is to pray during the mass for the souls in purgatory. • When a Christian behaves properly, he or she helps the other members of the Church. This responsibility should help us to lead a better Christian life every day.

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