communion among holy persons

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Communion Among Holy Persons Episode #3

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Communion of Saints, Body of Christ, Prayers, Church triumphant, purgatory, Church Militant

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Page 1: Communion among holy persons

Communion Among Holy PersonsEpisode #3

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Communion of Saints

Our Catholic Faith is a beautiful gift from God, and there is always so much to learn.

In the last episode we have learned about God’s family: The Catholic Church:◦ We know that all who follow Jesus are

members of His family

◦ Last time we also learned that God’s family is also called: THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

◦ All the members of God’s family are united together, we say that we are in communion

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Be Holy as Our Heavenly Father A saint is someone

◦ who is united to God,◦ who have God’s life (GRACE) in them.

All of us is called to Holiness, to be saints, like our Father in Heave is Saint.

Let’s see the Scriptures: Leviticus 19:2

"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”

Matthew 5:48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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Members of God’s family Lots of times, when we talk about Saints, we

mean souls in heaven◦ Like St. Joseph, St Maria Goretti, etc.

But Saints can also mean anyone who is united to God.◦ That means that if we are living in God’s Life (Sanctifying

Grace), we are in a sense Saints

Those of us, who are not yet with God in Heaven, are not quiet the Saints.◦ We still look forward to be in totally, united with God

forever in Heaven.◦ We are not yet perfect Holy,

The Communion of Saints includes all those who are member of God’s family◦ Whether we are living here on earth ◦ or whether they had died

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All members Share Everything In God’s family, all members living and

death, in certain way share everything.

St. Paul try to help us to understand this in the letter, he wrote to the Corinthians.

He helps us to see ◦ how we come together to make the ONE

MYSTICAL BODY CHRIST.

◦ We learned this in another episode that we talked about,

◦ the fact that the body is made of Different parts.

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Parts of the Body For example: the ear is part of the body and

so is the foot

◦ The whole reason why you & I have feet is, so we can walk from place to place

◦ They help you in a special way

◦ If the feet were not attach to my body, they wouldn’t be able to help you go around.

◦ The feet is something good for your whole body

If the body only have ears, how do will be able to walk anywhere

Each part of the body is important

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Whatever happen to a member affects the Whole Body

Have you ever step your foot in a piece of Glass or push pins?◦ It hurt you, but more than just you foot hurt,◦ If you foot doesn’t feel well, you don’t feel well

◦ Whatever happen to you foot, affects your whole body◦ Whatever happen to your foot, happens to you.

St. Paul knew all about this

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Each Member Suffers Each part of the body is called the

member

Saint Paul wrote:◦ if one member suffers, all suffer together,◦ If one member is honor, all rejoice together

But St. Paul was really talking about is the Mystical Body of Christ: the Communion of Saints.

What he is trying to say is that ◦ when one person is the Communion of

Saints is suffering, everyone shares the suffering.

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We All share the Suffering For example

◦ What about if your Dad lost his job◦ That will be a hard suffering for your dad, and

for your whole family◦ But not only for you, the communion of Saints

some how share in your suffering.

But you are not alone.◦ Some where, someone is praying for you◦ Jesus and Mary are specially watching over you

On the other hand, something good happen to you, for example:◦ You receive Jesus in the Holy Communion this is

a wonderful blessing for you, and also for the whole Communion of Saints

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Sharing Everything This sharing everything, in the

Communion of Saints, happens because

◦ The Holy Spirit makes it happen, ◦ by drawing us all, to Jesus.

This also means that whatever we do:a) either helps or hurts the whole

communion of Saints

b) because we are one body of Christ;

c) we in some way share everything

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Meet St. Dominic Savio Just about 100’s year ago there lived a

holy priest named John Bosco.

◦ He loved Children and young people◦ John Bosco wanted to help them to love Jesus.

One little boy Dominic, listen to Don Bosco more than anything.◦ Dominic wanted to be a saint

◦ Since all the member of the Communion of Saints knew are important,

◦ Dominic knew, he have to try bring others to Jesus

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Saint Dominic

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Saint Dominic Savio When a priest told him that if he wanted

to be a saint he should help save souls

a) Dominic was in the look out for anything he can do to bring others to Jesus.

b) Dominic and His group of friends pray cheerfully on Don Bosco school,

c) And also he make sure to be kind to the boys none notice

Whatever good, Dominic did helps the whole Communion of Saints◦ He helps bring others to Christ ◦ and continues to pray for us in Heaven.

He was only 15 years old when he died, and today we called him, Saint Dominic Savio.

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GOD’S FAMILY: COMMUNION OF SAINTS

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Communion of Saints

We know, that everyone in God’s family, ◦ whether they are alive or death, is part

of the Communion of Saints

Everyone in the Communion of Saints is at different stage of Holiness

◦ Here on earth we are not yet perfectly holy (but we are trying our best)

◦ We can never rest, and try to become holy until we are with God in Heaven

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THE CHURCH MILITANT Here on earth the member of God’s family are

called: THE CHURCH MILITANTa) It means we have to fight and be like soldiersb) But Not soldiers with guns & violence.

Soldiers have a reason for fighting◦ and one of the reasons, We have for fighting

in the Church Militant,◦ is so “to help others”

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Communion of Saints We know, that everyone in God’s

family, ◦ whether they are alive or death, is part of the

Communion of Saints

Everyone in the Communion of Saints is at different stage of Holiness

◦ Here on earth we are not yet perfectly holy (but we are trying our best)

◦ We can never rest, and try to become holy until we are with God in Heaven

Here on earth the member of God’s family are called: The CHURCH MILITANT◦ It means we have to fight and be like soldiers◦ But not soldiers with guns & violence.

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Church Militant Here on earth we have to work hard to stay

closer to Jesusa) We must ask Him for strength for fight the

devil

b) Sometimes we feel like doing something bad, that is when we have to fight like soldiers.

We must fight against temptations, so we can stay closer to Jesus

◦ It takes hard work,◦ but God have us all the Grace we need

(by the Power of the Holy Spirit)

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PURGATORY

Do you remember that everything we do, helps or hurts the Communion of Saints? That’s right!◦ Our prayers or good works, can help other people here

on earth

Prayers can strengthen others, so they can stay close to Jesusa) But we can not only help others for down here on

earthb) We can also help those who had died

c) After we died, if we are not perfectly holy and ready to be with God,

d) we would need to be purify and become perfect, before we enter life with God in heaven

This happen in the stage called: PURGATORY

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We Pray for People Who Have Died

The souls in Purgatory, know that they will see God and be with Him forever in Heaven◦ But they are not with Him yet, and we are very

sorry for their sins

We call the souls in PURGATORY: the CHURCH SUFFERING◦ it could be that someone you love who died is in

Heaven◦ It could be that that person is in purgatory

On less the Church says that someone is a saint, we don’t know for sure if someone is with God yet or not◦ But we want everyone be with God, and enjoy

with Him for ever in Heaven◦ And God wants them to be with them, too.

What can we do about it? We can pray for the people who have died.

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Pray for those Who have Died

Every year at November 2nd, we celebrate the memorial of Whole souls

In this day we pray for the death, that they may be with God◦ And also it is a good practice to visit the commentary ◦ and pray for all those who had died.◦ In fact, it will be a good idea to pray for someone right now

Can you remember someone who had died?◦ In our prayer we can ever help people we don’t know,

So let’s offer a prayer for the souls in Purgatory; ◦ it is a short prayer but a good on to say often:

“May the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God rest in peace, Amen.

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Meet Saint Gertrude Many years ago, there was a girl that

wanted to live entirely for Jesus

◦ She became a nun and lived her life very closer to Jesus

Our Lord Jesus gave to St. Gertrude many special gifts and Graces◦ And even appeared to her, and share with her

many things

On thing Saint Gertrude learned form Jesus is that ◦ He loves the souls in the Purgatory◦ He wants them to bring them to Heaven, if we

only was ask Him

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God loves all the souls, The souls in Purgatory are very

thankful for our prayers

God loves all the souls, ◦ And when we pray for them, ◦ we are caring and loving these souls, too.

We are showing God that we love His children

a) Not only that, but the souls in purgatory don’t forget about those of us, still on earth.

b) They can offer their suffering as a prayer for us.

c) And they can pray for us in a very powerful way,

d) so we finally could see God face to face,

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THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT

The saints who live with God in heaven are called THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT◦ Someone who is triumphant is joyful and celebrating ◦ because he had wan a victory

God has given them great victory over ◦ the dangers, temptations, and sins on life here on earth,

Now, they are with God forever in Heaven.◦ They love Him ◦ and they will never be separated from Him ever

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Some lived Such Obvious Life

We probably don’t know how much of these souls are: But some time, someone have lived such of obvious holy

life, ◦ that the Church has able to say for sure,◦ that this person is in Heaven

This is the people who we usually called the SAINTS in Heaven.a) They also pray for us,b) and their prayers for us are very powerful

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Meet Saint ThereseIn a convent in France, there was a young

nun called Therese, ◦ Today many people called her “the little flower”.

One day she had a incredible dream, where she saw many Carmelites nuns from heaven◦ One of them, venerable St. Ann of Jesus, {also

known as Ann Lobera}

◦ came very close to her and smiled

And Therese saw how much, this holy soul in heaven, loves her that she wrote:◦ “I believe I felt it was in Heaven and in this Heaven

there is people with souls, who actually love me, and who considerate me their child.

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COMMUNION AMONG HOLY PEOPLE That’s right! Even though we may not think about the Saints in Heaven,

they love us and they want to help us

It is good to ask for their prayers

Whatever good they do, help the whole Communion of Saints, including us.

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Review: 3 Different StagesLet’s review the 3 different sages of

Holiness in the Communion of Saints

1. What are the souls on earth called?◦ They are called the Church Militant

2. What do we called the souls on Purgatory?◦ We called them the Church Suffering

3. What do we called the souls with God in Heaven?

◦ The souls in Heaven are called the Church Triumphant

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Jesus:

Most Important in The Communion of Saints

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The most important is Jesus The souls in Heaven, and in the Purgatory, and

down here on earth, ◦ are united together in the Communion of Saints.

1) Who do think is the most important member in the Communion of Saints?

a) Jesus is the most important member of the Communion of Saints

b) The communion of Saints make the Mystical Body of Christ

c) Jesus is the head of the Mystical Body, and He is the most important member of the Mystical Body

Jesus has many good things and spiritual riches◦ to give us in the Sacraments (through the Power of

the Holy Spirit)

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Queen of angels & Queen of Saints

We call the souls in Heaven triumphant, 1) After Jesus, who do you think is the most important

soul in Heaven?2) Who do you think is the highest and most holy

saint (fill with most Grace)?

Mary mother of Jesus, the Blessed Mother is the Queen of angels, and Queen of Saints.◦ Her love for you and me is very strong,◦ And her intersection and prayers for us are very

powerful.

We should often ask our Heavenly Mother Mary to pray for us; ◦ She is not only Jesus Mother, but our Mother, too. ◦ (The New Eve, who say Yes to God’s plan of Salvation)

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More Questions to Review

1) What do all the member of God’s Family share?

a) In some way members of God’s family share everything

b) Whatever good one member does, helps the whole Family, or the whole

Communion of Saints

c) Whatever bad one member does, hurts whole Communion of Saints.

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Different Stages of Holiness

In the Communion of Saints souls are in different stage of Holiness:

1) What do me call the stage of the souls who are here on earth, striving to stay close to Jesus? The Church Militant

2) What do we call the souls in Purgatory? The Church Suffering

3) What do we called the souls who love God in Heaven? The Saints in Heaven are called The Church

Triumphant

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We are All United to Christ

It seems that one of the most important things, we have learned is

a) that in the Communion of Saints, we are never alone,

b) we are united to Jesus and to all the holy people, who are also united to Him

c) In fact the Communion of Saints, we all are united, (by the Power and works of the Holy Spirit.)

Let’s pray for each other… God Bless you!

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ANY QUESTIONS?