the communion of saints - 25th week Tuesday 2013

In the tenth article of the faith we affirm that we believe in the communion of the saints.  The catholic church is a communion of the saints and each one of us is part of this communion.  What then is the communion of the saints?  It is “the spiritual solidarity that binds the faithful here on earth, the souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven” in the one body of Christ.  In traditional catholic teaching we identify three states of the one body of Christ, three states of the one church of Christ. 

First we have the church triumphant meaning those who are already in heaven.  They are called triumphant because they have finished the race, they have won the fight and are now in glory. Then we have the church suffering, those who are still in purgatory.  They are described as suffering because they have to undergo a preparation before they can meet God.  Sometimes the church suffering in purgatory is also called the church expectant and I think this is more appropriate because if indeed they are suffering it is because of the longing to be with God which still remains unfulfilled.  And finally the third state of the church in this communion of the saints is the church militant.  We are the church militant because we are still on earth and militant means to make an effort, to struggle – we are still making an effort, we are still struggling nagapaninguha kita, nagapanikasug kita nga mapasakop sa langit.  But remember we are already called saints.  Mga santos na kita.  Why?  because of our destiny – we are destined for heaven, we are made for heaven.  

In our gospel today Jesus told the crowd that his mother and brothers and sisters are those who do the will of his Father in heaven.  This is the beginning of the communion of the saints – we were bound together by our collective intent and our common destiny which is God.  By our faith in Jesus we have become family, we are bound together and made one, made relatives because of our desire to do God’s will.  Thus we are a communion.

There are several truths in our lives and in our relationships that are affirmed because we believe in the communion of the saints and I would like to reflect on several things starting today and in the coming weeks.

First, death does not actually separate us from one another.  Our physical bodies die out and rot away but remember we are also spirits.  C.S. Lewis would even say that “we are not bodies with spirits rather we are spirits with bodies, we are spirits who happen to have bodies, and as spirits we live on.  My three front teeth fell two days ago, nagakataktak na ang aaton buhok, ang aton kilay naganipis - our bodies are being wasted away . . . But remember we are not bodies with spirits rather we are spirits who happen to have bodies, and we live for ever.   

Dali na lang piesta minatay kag may mga Halloween costume na nga nagakalabit.  You know waay gid na iya sa kultura naton inang pamahog sa piesta minatay.  Dumduman ninyo and I think some of you are still practicing it nagabutang kita pagkaon sa aton altar kon piesta minatay.  kag indi lang piesta minatay.  May ara pa sa krismas, sa new year sakop man sila sa Noche Buena.  Kag subong man sa piesta.  Wala man kita nagaekspektar nga kan-on nila inang pagkaon sa altar but that food is an invitation – eat with us, be with us in this happy occasion.  That food is a recognition that we cannot be separated – we are sprits and we are in communion with one another even if our bodies die and rot.  Ti ngaa mamahog-mahog ka imo kon ginaagda gani naton sila nga mag-ugyon sa aton.  I think beside the mass, and praying for them, this putting of food on altars is a wonderful expression of the communion of the saints.  This affirms that death cannot separate us because of what Jesus did on Calvary.  Jesus has made us one for ever.

But there is only one thing that can separate us from God, this one thing which excludes us from this communion.  It is called sin.  Sin excludes us.  Sin separates us.  Sin excommunicates us.  And if we are unrepentant this exclusion, this separation can become permanent.  When exclusion becomes permanent and eternal this is what we now call hell.  We will reflect on this and the other implications next week.