Communion of Saints

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [Acts 9:4-6]

It is no longer the Christians whom Saul is persecuting, it is JESUS CHRIST himself!

Communion of Saints

By c.pio

WE are ONE body in Christ

Ephesians 1:22-23 he is the head of the Church, which is His Body 

Romans 12:5 we are one body in Christ, individual parts of one another
Colossians 1:18, 24 he is the head of the body, the Church
Colossians 3:15 you were called in one body
Ephesians 4:4 one body, one spirit, called to one hope
Ephesians 5:21-32  Christ is the Head of the Church, savior of the body

We are connected to one another

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 If one part is hurt, all the parts share its pain. And if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy
Romans 12:10  love one another with mutual affection
Galatians 6:2 bear one another's burdens
1 Thessalonians 5:11  encourage, build up one another

Galatians 6:10 let us do good to all, especially to those in the family of faith

We can intercede/pray to God in behalf of another member. Prayer is a normal way for believers to support one another.

Romans 15:30 join me by your prayers to God on my behalf
Ephesians 4:3 pray for us
Ephesians 6:18-19 Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God's holy people, and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel
2 Thessalonians 1:11 we always pray for you
2 Thessalonians 3:1 finally, brothers, pray for us

Death cannot separate us: Saints and Martyrs departed in Flesh but not separated to us. They are still part and connected to ONE BODY in Christ.

Romans 8:35-39 death cannot separate us from Christ.
Mark 12:26-27 he is the God of the living, not of the dead

Wisdom 3:1-6 the souls of the just are in the hand of God

They are alive! They can hear our prayers.

Revelation 6:9-11 martyrs are alive under the altar and want earthly vindication
Revelation 20:4 saw the souls of those that had been beheaded

Ephesians 3:14-16 St. Paul testifies that the whole family in Heaven and on earth comes from the Father.
Mark 9:4 Jesus seen conversing with Elijah and Moses
Luke 16:19-30 departed rich man intercedes for brothers
Luke 23:43 To the thief on the Cross: "this day you will be with me in paradise"
Hebrews 12:1 we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses

They can still intercede for us.

Tobit 12:12  angel presents Tobit and Sarah's prayer to God
Revelation 5:8 angel offers prayers of the holy ones to God

They are worthy of Honor

Roman 13:7 "Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due”

[We address all public officials as ‘Honorable’ what more for the Saints and Martyrs who laid their own life for the Glory of God.] 

Worthy to Imitate

The most important form of honoring them is the imitation of them in their relationship with God. Apostle Paul wrote about the importance of spiritual imitation:

"I urge you, then, be imitators of me. Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church" [1 Cor. 4:16–17].

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" [1 Cor. 11:1–2].

Epistle to Hebrews states that: "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith" [Heb. 13:7]. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us" [Hebrew 12:1]—the race that the saints have run before us. 

…………………..

Clearly, We Catholics are not guilty of praying to a dead person [Deuteronomy 18:10] as commonly accused to us by all quasi-christians Sects.

WE WORSHIP GOD ALONE BUT WE HONOR HIS SAINTS.

We, Catholic believe that as we can ask a fellow Catholics to pray for us as per Apostle Paul stated, we can also ask prayers from the saints already united to the Lord in heaven. If the prayers of certain members here on earth seem to possess special power because of their great faith witness or holiness, how much more powerful and effective might not the prayers of those of the communion of saints in heaven who are fully united to God.

"An angel came and stood at the altar [in heaven] with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God" [Revelation. 8:3-4]. 

In [Revelation 5:8], where in Apostle John depicts the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God under the form of "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God, they are aware of our prayers. They are aware of our petitions and present them to God by interceding for us.

IF MOTHER TERESA HELP AND PRAY FOR THE POOREST OF THE POOR WHILE SHE WAS HERE ON EARTH, WHAT MORE SHE CAN DO… NOW SHE WAS FULLY UNITED TO GOD.

"Now take seven young bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not been right in what you said about me, as my servant Job was." [Job 42:8]


This is what Lord Jesus Christ said about the Parable of the persistent widow and the Judge.

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ”
 

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” [Luke 18:1-8]