Rorate Caeli

De Mattei: November: the Month of the Communion of Saints

 

Roberto de Mattei

RadioRomaLibera

November 2, 2020


The month of November began with two important liturgical feasts: All Saints and All Souls.  

 

On November 1st, the Church celebrated the Feast of All Saints - those of whom the Apocalypse sings: “After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God” (Apocalypse, 7, 9-10).  This is the Church Triumphant in Heaven, the Church of the Saints, our models and intercessors.

 

On November 2nd the Church commemorated the deceased, of whom St. Paul says: “And we will not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4,12). This is the Church Penitent, of the souls suffering in Purgatory waiting to enter Heaven. And the Faith teaches us that the liberation from their sufferings is in our hands, through prayer.

 

The Church Triumphant in Heaven and the Penitent Church in Purgatory are united to the Church Militant, made up of Christians living on Earth and together form the One Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Communion of Saints.


(Volo mori, o Deus in Te.)



The Church Triumphant in Heaven and the Penitent Church in Purgatory are united to the Church Militant, made up of Christians living on Earth and together form the One Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Communion of Saints.

 

Each one of these three Churches, the Triumphant, the Penitent and the Militant, is not made up of individual souls, but forms a true and proper society, a Mystical Body, inserted in a larger Mystical Body, uniting the three Churches.

 

The souls in Paradise are not only immensely happy because they know God, face to face, but they are happy also because they know each other; they love each other ardently; each one enjoys the happiness and the glory of the other, as if it were their own.  Love reigns supreme in the heavenly society.

 

The souls in Purgatory do not only have relations with the faithful on Earth, but also live in a society; they know each other and they love and help each other like siblings. Our dear ones then don’t live isolated in Purgatory, but enjoy family relationships.  Purgatory, say the theologians, is the kingdom of fraternal love.

        

Also the Church Militant, which we are part of, is not made up of individual souls, but is a society formed by those, who, through their baptism have been incorporated in Christ and profess the Catholic Faith. Yet while all the souls in Heaven and Purgatory are part of the Communion of Saints, inside the Church Militant, only the faithful in a state of grace are part of the Communion of Saints in a full and complete manner: indeed only they can help each other spiritually, as well as communicate the merits, satisfactions and the fruit of prayer  to each other.

          

Sinners, whilst being part of the Church Militant, cannot be part of this exchange of merits, satisfactions and prayers, given that they are devoid of Divine Grace, unlike the Just, from Abel to the Good Thief, who, while not being part of the Church Militant - which had yet to be founded - merited the grace of Heaven and are now members of the Church Triumphant. Thus, says St. Gregory, the Communion of Saints, has its origins in Abel and embraces all the Just, from Abel to the last of the elect at the end of times.

 

For this, inside the Communion of Saints the most difficult situation is precisely the one of the Church Militant members, who must strenuously fight for the their salvation. Since those in Purgatory, despite their suffering, are certain of reaching eternal happiness in Heaven, but nobody on Earth has this certainty until the moment of death when it is revealed.  

 

Eternal life is offered to everyone, on the condition they put the laws of God into practice. But not everyone accepts these laws, not everyone makes an effort to observe them, not everyone entrusts themselves to God to observe them and without the help of God it isn’t possible to observe His laws.  It is God Who saves us, but with our help. Without His help no human power will save us.

 

Life then is a battle to obtain that crown promised to those who fight, and, with the help of God, win.  We are soldiers and despite the wounds, sweat and mud we are covered in, we want to continue fighting, to obtain the crown that has been promised (2 Tim. 4,8). For this, in the month of November we ask for special help from the Saints and deceased, to whom we renew our prayer. 


Translation: Contributor Francesca Romana