Introduction
The Communion of Saints is an act of communion of spiritual union that allows for an exchange of blessings. The Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] points out that this exchange is possible only in the Church where all the saints gather (CCC 946). Communion is a deep bond between beings who share religious values and graces. The meaning of the communion of saints is that it is the most unifying act between people.
Discussion
The unification of people is God’s grand design, as all believers are protected and live for worship. All human life is ordinary and found in Christ when he blesses all. Walter believes that unity is only conceivable when the Church, together with the living, asks for the descent of the Spirit (Walter 108). He believes that only in the Church is it possible to attain enlightenment and insight as the nature of the sacrament. The Church asks the Spirit to come down and hear the parishioners’ requests, so the Church must be a place of unity for all people. The Church is “a people united by the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and it must remain a place of truth and a source of life (Lumen Gentium 4*). Christ brings life and power, but this is possible through communion.
Faith in the Spirit is another meaning embedded in the communion of saints. The Spirit is the “giver of life,” the vine that directs its fruit under the sun and streams of water (Nicene Creed). The communion of saints is an opportunity to touch the Holy Spirit, who suffered for the sake of men. The Spirit looks into people’s souls in moments of communion. Ratzinger writes that inner unity is achieved through unification (Ratzinger 334). He speaks of the Spirit descending to those who can understand unity, open themselves to God’s judgment without fear, and accept their actions’ destiny (340). Coogan writes that only through the mouth of Christ (his throat is his soul) can one receive a blessing (823-824). God’s words are sacred; they enable him to create everything in the world, including grace (Dei Verbum). The members of the Church unite under the vaults of heaven, opening themselves to the will of the Spirit. In contact with the Spirit, the living has a chance to know Christ (CCC 683). The Spirit is the central figure of the union of the saints, who will guide and ignite the mystery of the faith in man.
Finally, the unification of the saints is an act of love and mutual understanding of people who are no longer empty and unbelieving. The Spirit fills them with faith and communicates new life (CCC 684), and the living now accepts the trinity of God (CCC 685). The unification of the saints probably demonstrates how far people have been able to go after receiving the first sacrament, baptism. In baptism, people receive cleansing from the original sin of the Virgin Mary (Lumen Gentium) and become open to every good feeling. Walter calls the sacrament not just a continuation of God’s work, but specifically an understanding of nature and being as such (Walter 108). The living must strive for the good things in common that will enable them to see the riches of Christ.
Conclusion
Thus, the Communion of Saints is an act of mutual exchange of grace derived from the trinity of God. First of all, it is the design of God to teach the living to receive blessings together with the congregation of the Church. Secondly, the Church represents the union in which enlightenment and grace are possible. Third, the Holy Spirit pushes one into unity and provides the path of enlightenment and the nurturing of faith. Finally, in the unification of the saints lies the manifestation of love, mercy, and understanding for one’s neighbor and the nature of the sacraments and God.
Works Cited
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticano [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops], 2018.
Coogan, Micahel. D. The New Oxford Annotated Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.
Dei Verbum. “Dogmatic Constitution On Divine Revelation Solemnly Romulgated By His Holiness Pope Paul Vi On November 18, 1965”, Vatican, Web.
Lumen Gentium. “Dogmatic Constitution On The Church, Solemnly Promulgated By His Holiness Pope Paul VI On November 21, 1964”, Vatican, Web.
“Nicene Creed”, Marquette University, Web.
Ratzinger, Joseph [Benedict XVI]. Introduction to Christianity. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004 [1968].
Walter, Kasper. That They May All Be One: The Call to Unity Today. New York: Burns & Oates, 2004.