The Communion of Saints .

1. The Communion of Saints. Two ways to understand Communion of Saints: The Communion of Saints is also understood as 1. They are all a community of redeemed (saved) people who: a. Are living here on earth by Christ’s teachings, or b. Those whose soul’s are being purified in Purgatory and, c. The Saints in Heaven who enjoy the eternal presence of God. 2. “…holy things, such as Sacraments (especially the Eucharist), that unite the Church and the community of holy people.

2. We pray for the living and the dead… because they share in the Communion of the Saints. Our unity in Christ means that we can benefit each other through “merit.” To be in “communion” or “union” with another means to share something in common. It also shows that one’s good or bad actions have an effect on each other. Merit is the reward which God promises and gives to those who love him and who by his grace perform good works.

3. In the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, twenty-five fresco-like tapestries depict 135 saints and blesseds from around the world, including holy men and women of North America canonized by the Church.

4. Twelve untitled figures, including children of all ages, represent the many anonymous holy people in our midst. All the figures direct our eyes to the light of the great Cross-window above the Altar where the Eucharist is celebrated.

5. As Catholics we believe in the bond that exists among the living and the dead who share Christ’s life. God is a community of three persons in relationship. The Communion of Saints is a community that… God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Extends through time and space, across the globe, and through the ages. Christ is our connection.

6. Saints are ordinary people who lived with extraordinary love for God and others. Some saints made extraordinary changes in their lives. Some made extraordinary commitments to prayer like St. Augustine, fifth-century Church Father from “sinner to saint.” St. Bernadette Soubirousof Lourdes, France.

7. Bernadette Soubirous is the saint of Lourdes, France. Visionary and messenger of the Immaculate Conception, she told us the very words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in the native Basque tongue of Southern France and Northern Spain. http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/lourdes/ba_bernadette_intro.htm

8. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Who made extraordinary efforts to serve others especially the poor, homeless, outcast, children and the sick and dying. She founded the Missionaries of Charity.

9. As Catholics, we have always held up saints as strong examples of the spiritual life. Saints are friends we can ask to pray with us when we make petitions to God. The power comes from God but we pray for others and with others for the souls of those who have died. We pray in union with the saints. This is called “intercessory prayer.” Praying to God on behalf of, or for the needs of someone else.

10. Homework assignment Due Monday, May 7. Research and prepare a poster board report on three saints. Include a picture for each and, Summarize their lives, where they were from, dates when they lived, and show what was interesting or unique about them, and how they lived a life of virtue. Show how their lives modeled holiness and provide the date when they were canonized or called “blessed”. Find a saint who you might have been named after, a lesser-known saint, someone recently canonized, or saints associated with specific professions. Is there a saint for teachers? Parents? Students? Musicians, etc.? Conclude with how their story impressed you or what you learned from them.