Communion of Saints

by Fr. Gabriel Terrill  |  11/23/2024  |  Weekly Reflection

Dear Friends, “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)

Our parish community at Mount Carmel reflects the Catholic Church in miniature. I observe this in the way that our ministries seek to serve each other and the people outside of our community. I see this in the various prayers offered through mass intentions and devotions for both the living and the deceased souls in purgatory. I recognize this in the celebration of the saints who have gone before us and won the crown of salvation as victors in Christ. In all this we reflect what our Church wisely calls Communion of Saints.

We may have heard this term before, but it is good to reflect on the profound meaning of the Communion of Saints in this month of November as we celebrate the saints, pray for the dead, and recognize our own mortality by participating in the mission of the Church. The Communion of Saints is, simply put, the spiritual unity shared between the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the living pilgrims of faith on earth. We are called the Communion of Saints because we all share the same destination: our Telos (Greek for goal or fulfillment) is to be united with God in heaven. Therefore, we are all called to sanctity in heaven, and as the Church’s members, we find ourselves in various stages of this journey, during which we are called to serve and pray in unique ways.

On November 1st, we celebrated All Saints Day. It was a day to honor the saints, not for their own sake but for ours. In the Communion of Saints, the souls that reside in heaven are known as The Church Triumphant. This is because they have run the race and won, as Paul tells us, “Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) The saints are those runners of faith who journeyed through the world as faithful disciples of Christ and in their death experienced the victory of Christ in heaven. In their position as victorious saints in Christ, they no longer need prayers but can intercede in prayer for other members of the Communion of Saints. Therefore, we celebrate the saints as witnesses of how to live a holy life, to inspire us in our own journey of faith, and we ask them for their prayers to assist us and the souls in purgatory.

On November 2nd, we celebrate the memorial of All Souls Day. It is fitting that we celebrate the deceased souls in purgatory the day after we celebrate the Saints Triumphant. The souls in purgatory are known as The Church Suffering. These souls have the hope of heaven, but upon their death, they still had minor earthly and sinful attachments. As they go through a period of purgation or purification, they can be helped along by the assistance of the rest of the Communion of Saints. This is why we pray for our dead, especially on All Souls Day, as an act of love and mercy for those who have gone before us. They can neither pray for themselves nor others, so we are equipped to assist them with our prayers and acts of self-sacrifice. This is especially the case during November, a month traditionally observed as a time to pray for the dead.

Finally, as we end the liturgical year for the Church, we are encouraged to reflect on our own mortality as pilgrim disciples of Christ. We on earth are known as the Church Militant. This is because we are still on our journey of faith; we have not yet finished the race. Through the struggles and obstacles of life, we are called forward and encouraged with the help of God’s grace, the support of the saints who cheer us on, and the assistance we offer to each other as fellow pilgrims. As we reflect on the passing of this world and the immortality of our souls, we are encouraged to live each day with intentionality and to see how the Lord is calling us to holiness in serving and loving our neighbors here on earth while loving and praying for those who have gone before us with the hope we share in the Resurrection and the destination we seek in heaven.