Chapter 7: The Church as a Communion of Saints

Chapter 7: The Church as a

Communion of SaintsTHE CHURCH: Sacrament of Salvation

Anticipatory Set

Work with a partner to analyze the use of the word communion in the difficult, four-paragraph excerpt from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that begins this chapter.

1. The Communion of Saints

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the Communion of Saints?What is an indulgence?What is a saint?

KEY IDEASThe Communion of Saints is the unity of all the members of the Mystical Body of Christ on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven.The members of the Mystical Body of Christ on earth can assist the members in Purgatory through indulgences, that is, remission of the temporal punishment due to sin that is already forgiven. A saint is a member of the Church—the Mystical Body of Christ—on earth, in Purgatory, or in Heaven. The Church may declare officially a member of the Church in Heaven to be a saint by canonization, adding him or her to the calendar and promoting his or her public veneration.


THE CHURCH AS A COMMUNION OF SAINTS What is the relationship between “the holy catholic Church” and “the communion of saints”? In a sense they mean the same thing. In the present phase of salvation history, what are the three states in which the Church exists? (1) The Church Militant, which is the Pilgrim Church on earth, is comprised of Christ’s faithful on earth; (2) the Church Suffering is comprised of those in Purgatory who have died in communion with God but who have not yet been purified fully; and (3) the Church Triumphant is comprised of the heavenly Church in glory. What is the Communion of Saints? It is the union within the Church between God and man and among men.


What is the “work” of the entire Church in all three states? To continue the saving work of Jesus Christ. What is the “work” of the Church Triumphant? To intercede for the Church on earth. What is the “work” of the Church Militant? To remain united to Christ and to bring the entire world into union with him. What is the “work” of the Church Suffering? To become purified so as to be able to enter Heaven.


Guided Exercise Break down the selection from the Catechism of Pius X (material before footnote 2) into bullet points to show the three ways that the Church, in its different states, is one.


Sidebar: WHAT IS AN INDULGENCE? What is the literal meaning of “indulgence”? A freeing from a penalty. Is an indulgence the forgiveness of sin? No. It is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. What is the “source” of an indulgence? The treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. Who can dispense the treasure of the satisfactions of the Church? The Church herself because she is the minister of salvation.


What is the distinction between a partial and plenary indulgence? A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin, whereas a plenary indulgence removes all of the punishment due to sin. Who can gain indulgences? The faithful can gain them for themselves or apply them to the dead. What is the basis of the efficacy of an indulgence? An indulgence is an act of faith on the part of a member of the Church Militant that requires an offering of some prayer, sacrifice, or work of service in imitation of Christ and the saints. This act builds virtue and disposes us to receive grace. For this act, the Church rewards us from the “treasury of merits”—the abundance of grace won for us by Christ and by his faithful people down through the ages.


Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Share: How does the doctrine of indulgences reflect the solidarity that exists among the members of the Church in her three states?


Guided Exercise A Think/Pair/Write/Share: Given what this lesson teaches about indulgences, what would you say to someone who objects that indulgences are corrupt because people can use them to buy forgiveness of sins even before they have committed them?


WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A SAINT? What is the first meaning of the term Communion of Saints? Through the Mass and especially in the reception of the Eucharist, the members of the Pilgrim Church on earth are in communion with the Church in Heaven. What is the second meaning of the term Communion of Saints? Through our union with Christ, we are brought into communion with everyone else who is united to him, that is, the entire Church on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven. How do we enter the Communion of Saints? By Baptism we are adopted as sons and daughters of the Father, thus making us brothers and sisters in Christ.


What is the literal meaning of the word saint? It means “holy one.” What is the specific meaning of the word saint in the Catholic Church? This title refers to those Christian men and women who remained faithful during their time on earth and have reached the glory of Heaven.

What is the official process for declaring someone a saint called? Canonization. What does canonization establish? The Church proclaims that the person canonized practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace.


What is the importance of saints for the Pilgrim Church? The Church proposes them to us as models and intercessors, that is, as people we can imitate and pray to for help. What is celebrated on November 1 in the Church’s liturgy? The Solemnity of All Saints, which celebrates all of the unknown saints who are now in Heaven. What do all the saints, except the Blessed Virgin Mary, have in common with us? They were sinners just like us, who had to struggle to overcome temptation. Like them we are saints-in-the-making. Why is it right for us to ask the saints in Heaven for help? Their work in Heaven is to intercede constantly for the Church on earth.


Closure Write a paragraph explaining the concept of the Communion of Saints.


Homework Assignment

Reading:Intercession of the Saints through Veneration of the Saints.Questions:Study Questions 1–5.Workbook Questions 1–5.


Alternative Assessment Free write for five minutes on the solidarity that exists among the members of the Body of Christ regardless of whether they are on earth, in Purgatory, or in Heaven.


Anticipatory Set Listen to a recording of the litany of the saints. There are several on the Internet.

2. Veneration of the Saints in Heaven

BASIC QUESTIONWhy do Catholics venerate the saints?

KEY IDEAThe Sacred Scriptures, the early Church, and the Magisterium all testify that it is a good thing to venerate the Saints in Heaven and pray for their intercession.


INTERCESSION OF THE SAINTS To what mystery of the Church does the intercession of saints conform? The mystery of the Church as communion. What has always been the attitude of the Pilgrim Church to the saints? The Church has always venerated the Apostles, the martyrs, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the angels and has asked for their help. What is the relationship of the saints to Christ? They are his friends and co-heirs.


Do the saints help us by their own power? No. They can obtain benefits from God through Jesus Christ. Where does the New Testament support the idea that the members of the Church should pray for one another? St. Paul instructed his disciple St. Timothy that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men… [something which is] good, and pleasing to God our Savior. (1 Tm 2:1–4)


Intercessory Prayer What is intercessory prayer? It is praying to God on behalf of another. How is the Roman centurion an example of intercessory prayer? He interceded for his servant, asking Christ to heal his servant. If God already knows our needs and the needs of our neighbor, why should we pray? Intercessory prayer is a powerful way to express love for others.


Who are the “saints” who can pray for us? They are all members of the Body of Christ, both those in Heaven and those on earth, that is, other Christians.

In his Epistle to the Colossians, to whom does St. Paul use the word “saint” to refer? Both the living members of the Church and those “in light,” that is, those who are now in Heaven. How do we know from Sacred Scripture that the saints in Heaven are praying for us? In the Book of Revelation, the angels bear the “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”


What is one thing the saints pray for according to the Book of Revelation? They cry out to God to right the wrongs that have been committed on earth. How do Sts. Dominic and Therese of Lisieux testify to a belief in the power of the saints in Heaven to help the saints on earth? St. Dominic told his followers that he would be more useful to them after his death, and St. Therese said she wanted to spend her Heaven doing good on earth.


Sidebar: St. Therese of Lisieux Guided Exercise Work with a partner to write and answers three focus questions on what you consider the three most important points from the sidebar on St. Therese of Lisieux.


Veneration of the Saints Guided Exercise Work with a partner to come up with three examples of veneration of the saints in the early Church.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the Pilgrim Church’s veneration of the saints according to the following:(1)as an expression of the Communion of the Saints;(2)as a channel of petitions through which their intercession is entreated; and (3)as a means of providing the faithful with examples to emulate.


Homework Assignment

Reading:The End of History through Holy Mass Is a Participation in the Heavenly Liturgy.Questions:Study Question 6.Practical Exercise 2.Workbook Questions 6–10.


Alternative Assessment Class Discussion

Why is it reasonable to pray to the saints in Heaven and to hope to receive help back from them?


Anticipatory Set Think/Pair/Share: How does the Catechism, no. 2796, reveal the Pilgrim Church, i.e., us, as a divided people? (p. 276)

3. The Divine Liturgy in Heaven and on Earth

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the Final Judgment?What is the relationship between the heavenly and earth liturgies?

KEY IDEASAt the Final Judgment, every person will be judged by his or her good and evil acts and by how we responded to the grace Christ offered to us.The Mass is a participation in a liturgy that is constantly taking place in Heaven with Christ as the Eternal High Priest.


THE END OF HISTORY: A New Heaven and a New Earth On what basis will we be judged at the end of the world? We will be judged according to our acceptance or refusal of the grace that Christ has offered us. Should we be afraid of the end of the world? If we are united to Christ, the end of history is a promise rather than a threat. What is the lot of all Christians at all times of the history of the Church? In every age the Pilgrim Church endures trial and persecution.


Guided Exercise Summarize the section “The End of History: A New Heaven and a New Earth” (pp. 250–251) by answering the following question: What four things do we know about the end of the world from Sacred Scripture?


ST. JOHN’S VISION OF THE HEAVENLY LITURGY What is the Book of Revelation? A prophetic vision of the end times. What does “apocalypse” mean literally? Unveiling (in Greek, apokalypsis). What are the three subjects of the Book of Revelation? 1.The ongoing spiritual struggle of the Pilgrim Church against the demonic forces of Satan;2.The solidarity and Communion of Saints and angels in Heaven and on earth; and3.the intimate union shared by Christ and his Bride, the Church, in their glorious Marriage Feast.


What is an event told in the Book of Revelation that is already past? The destruction of Jerusalem. What is an event told in the Book of Revelation that is in the future? The unveiling of a new heavens and a new earth.

What is the primary focus of the Book of Revelation? The “heavenly liturgy” offered to the Father by Christ with the angels and saints. How is Christ portrayed as both priest and victim in the Book of Revelation? Christ not only wears the robes of the high priest but also appears as the Lamb, “standing, as though it had been slain.”


How is Christ’s offering of himself in Heaven different from his offering of himself on earth? On earth, the Son’s Sacrifice on the Cross was bloody. In the Heavenly liturgy, however, Christ’s Sacrifice on the altar is bloodless. What does the Epistle to the Hebrews reveal about Christ’s work in Heaven? He “always lives to make intercession [for] those who draw near to God through him” (Heb 7:25). Who else takes part in this heavenly liturgy? The Book of Revelation reveals that all of Heaven―angels and saints―takes part in this liturgy, worshiping God and giving thanks for the salvation received through Christ.


THE HOLY MASS IS A PARTICIPATION IN THE HEAVENLY LITURGY What elements of our own Liturgy of the Mass do we see in St. John’s description of the heavenly liturgy? An altar; robed priests; candles; incense; the Gloria; readings from Scripture; the Holy, Holy, Holy; chalices; and the “Lamb of God.” What is the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in the Book of Revelation? It is when God comes to dwell with his people in the New Jerusalem. What is the “marriage supper of the Lamb” on earth? It is the Mass, where the Pilgrim Church shares in fullest communion with Christ. How does God already dwell with his people? Through the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.


Guided Exercise Perform a focused reading of the final four paragraphs of this section, beginning with the paragraph “Nevertheless, the Mass…” (p. 253), using the following question: How is the Mass both a foreshadowing of and an actual participation in the heavenly liturgy?


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the main lessons we can draw from the Book of Revelation.


Homework Assignment Reading:The Last Things through Purgatory, including “Praying for the Holy Souls.”Questions:Study Questions 7–13.Workbook Questions 11–18.


Alternative Assessment Work with a partner to complete Practical Exercise 3 about how we already participate in the heavenly glory that we pray will come about.


Anticipatory Set Earlier in this chapter we looked at indulgences and what they can do for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Free write for a few minutes on the following question: Why doesn’t the Pilgrim Church simply free all the Holy Souls from Purgatory as an act of mercy?

4. Last Things: The Particular Judgment and Purgatory

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the Particular Judgment?What is Purgatory?Can we help the Holy Souls in Purgatory? KEY IDEASThe Particular Judgment is when each soul is judged by Christ immediately upon death and then enters either Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell.Purgatory is a state in which a just soul undergoes a purification that involves both joy and suffering before finally entering Heaven.We can aid the Holy Souls in Purgatory through our prayers, Masses, indulgences, alms, and sacrifices.


THE LAST THINGS Why is death the end of our opportunity to shape our supernatural destiny? At death, the possibility of merit, demerit, or conversion ceases.

What are the three possibilities each soul faces upon its Particular Judgment? Immediate entry to the state of Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, as deserved. What passages from the Gospels support the idea of immediate judgment upon death? Two are Christ’s words to the good thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” and his parable in which Lazarus is in a state of happiness and the rich man is in torment. In the first case, the good thief would need to be judged as fit for Heaven in order to enter it that very day. In the parable, the rich man is being punished and Lazarus is being rewarded, which implies judgment has taken place. According to St. John of the Cross, what is the ultimate criterion by which we will be judged? By how much we have loved.


PARTICULAR JUDGMENT What are the two judgments spoken of in the New Testament? There is (1) the final meeting with Christ when he will come again and (2) the retribution immediately after each person’s death as a consequence of his or her faith and deeds. Extension: Retribution in this context means both rewards and punishment rather than simply payback for evil. What is the Particular Judgment? Each person’s immortal soul, upon death, stands before the judgment seat of Christ and receives his or her eternal reward: a period of purification, to heavenly glory, or to eternal condemnation. On what actions is the Particular Judgment based? It is based on what the person has done in the body, i.e., while alive on earth.


Guided Exercise A Think/Pair/Write/Share:

According to the paragraph beginning, “The Particular Judgment is an act” (p. 255), how is this act both a “judicial judgment” and a realization?


PURGATORY Why does Purgatory exist? A soul must be completely purified of evil and perfected before entering Heaven. Who is in Purgatory? The souls of those who, having died in grace, have not fully paid the punishment for their pardoned mortal sins or their venial sins. How long will Purgatory be in existence? Only until the Final Judgment.


Is Purgatory a place? No. It is a state, or condition, of existence. The separated souls, being spirits, do not occupy space, even if in common language some people refer to Purgatory as a place for these souls. What is the basis of the joy of the Holy Souls in Purgatory? It is the assurance that they will enter the joy of Heaven. What is the basis of the suffering of the Holy Souls in Purgatory? It is the delay in seeing God caused by their own fault. How does one avoid Purgatory? Avoid sin, strive to do the will of God, and accept with joy the trials and sufferings of life, which are a preparation for Heaven.


Guided Exercise Perform a focused reading of the paragraph beginning, “Therefore, in Purgatory” (p. 257), using the following question: Why is separation from God—something that does not seem to bother many souls before death—suddenly so painful in Purgatory?


Sidebar: WHY PRAY FOR THE DEAD? How is Purgatory revealed in the Old Testament? In the Second Book of Maccabees, Judas Maccabeus took up a collection among all his soldiers to make a sacrifice to atone for his dead soldiers who, he discovered, had committed idolatry. The passage concludes, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.” How is Purgatory reflected in the practice of the Jews of Christ’s time and today? The Jews prayed for the dead, and modern-day Jews pray the Kaddish, which are prayers to reduce the time spent in Gehenna for those who have died.


What is the logic behind belief in the existence of Purgatory? If those who are have died are in Heaven, they do not need prayers. If they are in Hell, prayers will not do them any good. So there must be a place where our prayers do some good, i.e., Purgatory. How does St. Paul support the idea of Purgatory? He revealed that Christians who sin “will be saved, but only as it were through fire.” Who were some early Fathers of the Church who wrote about Purgatory? Tertullian and St. Cyrpian. Which Ecumenical Councils confirmed the Church’s teaching on Purgatory? The Second Ecumenical Council of Lyons in 1274 and later the Ecumenical Councils of Florence (1439) and Trent (1563).


Guided Exercise Complete a paragraph shrink on the passage by Pope Benedict XVI beginning, “The encounter with him” (p. 256), in order to see how there is nothing cruel or vindictive about the “fire” of Purgatory.


Praying for the Holy Souls How can the Holy Souls in Purgatory be helped? They are consoled by the angels and are helped both by the prayers and suffrages of the Pilgrim Church and the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. Extension: A suffrage is a short intercessory prayer. Why are prayers for the dead a work of piety? Piety is the fulfillment of obligation toward family members. We should pray for those in our own natural and supernatural families. Why is prayer for the dead a work of mercy? The Holy Souls in Purgatory cannot do anything for themselves; therefore, we show mercy to them by asking that their time be shortened.


Why is prayer for the dead an act of charity? We have to wish for the good of others.

Why is praying for the dead an obligation of justice? Some souls may be detained in Purgatory partly through our fault because of our sins of commission or omission, e.g., by scandal. What is the best way of helping the Holy Souls in Purgatory? Offering the Sacrifice of the Mass.


What is special about All Soul’s Day? On November 2 all the priests of the Latin Church offer Mass for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Extension: The Eastern Churches set aside certain Saturdays during Lent to offer prayers and Liturgies for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. What are other ways to help the Holy Souls in Purgatory? Apply indulgences to the souls of the dead, give alms in their memory, and offer up sacrifices and penances on their behalf.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the Church’s doctrine on Purgatory.


Homework Assignment

Reading:Hell through Conclusion.Questions:Study Questions 14–19.Practical Exercise 3.Workbook Questions 19–26.


Alternative Assessment Work with a partner to develop apologetical arguments in favor the Church’s teachings on Purgatory.


Opening Prayer: The Prayer to St. Michael. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness

and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do you, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.

Amen.

5. Last Things: Hell, Heaven, and the Parousia

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is Hell?What is Heaven?What is the Parousia?

KEY IDEASHell is the state of self-chosen eternal separation from God, who is the only source of life and happiness.Heaven is the state of complete happiness with the rest of the blessed souls in enjoying the vision of God.The Parousia is the Second Coming of Christ and the Final Judgment at the end of time.


HELL How is sin a form of death according to St. John? St. John revealed, “He who does not love remains in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” What is the result of dying in a state of mortal sin without repentance? It is remaining separated from God forever because of our free choice. What is Hell? It is eternal self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed in Heaven.


What images did Christ use to describe Hell? He spoke often of Hell as “fire” and “darkness” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” as condemned souls are tormented by “the worm that dies not.” What is the chief punishment of Hell according to the Catechism, no. 1035? The chief punishment of Hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone a human being can possess the life and happiness for which he or she was created and for which the soul longs.


Guided Exercise A class discussion on Hell.

Here are some basic questions: Does God’s goodness preclude the existence of Hell? Can God save someone who refuses to be saved?Is it possible that someone would freely choose Hell, including freely staying there?


HEAVEN What is Heaven? It is the state of everlasting life in which we see God, become like him in glory, and enjoy eternal happiness. Are there different degrees of happiness in Heaven? Yes. The souls in Heaven enjoy various degrees of happiness according to their degree of love and friendship with God during their earthly life. However, each person receives the full measure of happiness he or she can possess. Extension: An analogy to explain this paradox is containers filled with water. Every container can be filled to the brim, but because they can be of different sizes, one may contain more than another. What are some images of Heaven revealed in Scripture? Life, light, peace, a wedding feast, the wine of the kingdom, the Father’s house, the Heavenly Jerusalem, paradise.


Can we grasp what Heaven is like? No. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Of what does the essential happiness of Heaven consist? The immediate vision of God, the full and perfect satisfying of every desire, and in the happy society of all the blessed. Why will we find happiness in each other in Heaven? We will love one another as ourselves and so rejoice in the good that each possesses. As the pleasure and enjoyment of one increases, so will it increase for all.


How does the happiness of Heaven increase? The joy and happiness of Heaven increases as other souls enter, as loved ones still on earth progress in their spiritual lives, and as one’s apostolic efforts and sufferings endured in the service of God bear fruit on earth with the passage of time. What is the relationship between earthly and heavenly happiness? The saints are overflowing with of all those pleasures that can be enjoyed or even desired in this life, whether in regard to the powers of the mind or of the perfection of the body.


Guided Exercise The principal happiness of Heaven consists in the vision of God; however, it is difficult to under how a person could “look at” something forever and not get bored.

Perform a guided meditation on the vision of God based on the ideas of goodness, truth, and beauty.


Sidebar: St. Michael the Archangel Of which three Angels do we know the names from Scripture? Of the hundreds of references, we know Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Why are angels called “saints” and members of the Church? The Church is the heavenly assembly of all those who have received salvation in Christ, and the first among these are the angels. Extension: Angels are personal beings with rational souls, although they do not have material bodies. Why is St. Michael seen as a great warrior? In the Book of Revelation, he leads the holy angels in battle against the Devil and his follower angels. Why should we be devoted to St. Michael? He is a protector of the Church against the opposition of the Devil.


THE PAROUSIA What is the Parousia? It is the Second Coming of the Lord, at which time Christ will appear in power and majesty as judge and establish his Kingdom—which was inaugurated at the Incarnation—in all its fullness. What is the literal meaning of Parousia? It is Greek for “apparition,” or “presence.” What will happen at the General, or Universal, Judgment? Christ will judge every human being personally and publicly in the presence of every other human being.


What will we learn at the Final Judgment? We will understand the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation: the marvelous ways by which God’s Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that his love is stronger than death. We will learn why God allows the good to suffer and the wicked to prosper, and we will see the good and bad effects of human acts. What will happen to us at the Final Judgment? Our souls will be reunited to our glorified—now immortal—bodies. They will be reunited in Heaven or Hell, to whichever the soul was consigned at death. When will the Last Judgment occur? Only the Father knows the day and the hour. What will happen to the universe after the Final Judgment? The universe will be renewed as all things will be perfectly reestablished in Christ.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing what we know about Heaven and Hell and how the happiness in Heaven and the unhappiness of Hell are closely related.


Homework Assignment Questions:Study Questions 20–25.Practical Exercise 1.Workbook Questions 27–32.


Alternative Assessment Write a letter to a seven-year-old explaining what Heaven is like, trying to explain it as clearly and simply as you can.


The End

Chapter 7: The Church as a Communion of Saints

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 7: The Church as a Communion of Saints