All Saints Day

The Communion of saints

 Matthew 5:1-12

In this special day of all Saints, we are reminded by the Catechism of the Catholic Church "The Communion of Saints is the Church." (CCC 946)  Furthermore, today's reading from the Apocalypse says, "These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb." (Rev. 7: 14)

Friends, we make up the Communion of Saints together with those already in heaven.  Let us appreciate then what it means to be Church while we're still on earth.  Let this be a call for us to renew our understanding of "Church".

The Catechism further says that we share in two aspects of Communion of saints - communion in holy things (sancti) and communion among holy persons (sancta).

Let us appreciate four more communion in holy things:

Communion of faith. "Faith is the treasure of life which is enriched by being shared." (CCC 949)

Communion of the sacraments, "for they unite us with God." (CCC 950)

Communion of charisms. "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (CCC 951)

Communion of charity. "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (CCC 953)

The communion of the saints begins on earth.  Our celebration of heaven begins right here on earth on our love for each other in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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