The Communion of Saints

" The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us utter destruction. But they are in peace. For, if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings, He took them to Himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their King forever. Those who trust in Him shall understand the Truth, and the faithful shall abide with Him in Love: because grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with His elect." -- [Wisdom 3: 1-9].

All Saints' Day occurs each year on November 1. It is a Feast that commemorates all Saints, who have reached a place in Heaven with God.

Christians in general, and Catholics in particular, believe in the "Church Militant", that is, those in the Church who are among the living; and the "Church Triumphant", that is, those in Heaven.

But the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are NOT two wholly separate realms. In fact, we Christians believe in something called "The Communion of Saints".

The word "Communion" means fellowship or sharing. The central way in which Christians "share" in the Kingdom of God, where our departed rest, is through the Eucharist.

As infants, we gain the Grace of the Holy Spirit by Baptism. But to maintain that Grace, that comes from God and His only Son, we must continually renew those relationships through the Eucharist.

There are four other ways that we participate in the Communion of Saints: through our Faith, handed down from the Apostles; through our Charisms-- i.e., our extraordinary powers given by the Holy Spirit for the good of all the Church; through the Communion of Common Goods, that is, that everything we have comes from God and is for the benefit of all; and the Communion  of Charity, that is, that when one in the community suffers, we all suffer.

This Communion of Saints unites us for all time, with all Christians past, present, and future. We are literally -- by Faith, by Sacraments, by Charism, by Common Goods, and by Charity, all ONE family in God's name.

This All Saints' Day, I have been reflecting on my own mother's death several years ago. And sometimes, I wonder where she is now?

My mother was a beautiful but complex woman. One moment, she was gentle and caring. The next, her cutting remarks could cut into my very soul. There were times in which I wondered if she truly saw me, a young girl who had desperate and very heartfelt needs? There were times that she rejected me and abandoned me, at crucial and painful moments in my life. Did she do this because she was cold and unloving? Or, did she think that her tough Love would make me stronger?

I often wonder how God is judging her? There is a Catholic notion, that very few of us make it to Heaven on the first try. Most of us go to what is called "Purgatory".  I used to fear that Purgatory was a synonym for Hell. It is not. It is an interim place, where God shapes us and perfects us, before we are "worthy of Himself".  Reading this verse in Wisdom comforts me. We are given in this Reading, a beautiful picture of God taking us to Himself, for purification, as sparks though stubble.

Clearly, we Christians, when we lose a loved one, look heavenward often, and "talk" to our loved ones as if they were still here. We even pray to them! My dear relative, who died this summer, was one of the strongest men I have ever known. When I need strength, I pray to him! This is the Communion of Saints, the deceased who are still with us, but in a different form and place.

I remember when I took my mother back into my life, to care for her when she was terminally ill.  Despite all the cruel things she had done to me, the rejection, the abandonment, the sharp verbal assaults, I took her back.

One day, she said to me, "I used to take YOU to the doctor and make you meals. Now, you are doing this for me." Then, she scolded me for not getting enough rest. I said to her, "Ma! you don't have to tell me this, I am no longer a child!" She said, "I may be very old, but I am STILL your mother!"

I always thought of her as a non-believer. But at my father's wake, I whispered to her, "Do you believe that you will see dad again after you also die?" And she whispered back, "Yes!"

I am reminded of this, as I think of the extraordinary thing that happened last week. My son went to school, and told one of his teachers, that my husband and I were celebrating a significant anniversary. As the conversation between my son and his teacher spun out, the Truth became known.

My mother and the teacher's mother had gone to the same high school! They had gone to the same college. They were close friends for much of their lives. Even their mothers were close friends. The teacher and I had grown up in the same town. We had gone to the same high school.

An unbeliever would call this a coincidence. BUT, believers call this the Communion of Saints!! My mother could not do enough for me when I was caring for her at the end. She wanted to repay the unexpected Grace of my Love. She could not do much physically, in her last days and months, but what she did, she did with great Love.

Now I see, that even from the next life, my mother is still taking care of me!-- sending her best friend's daughter to teach my son in school. She is STILL my mother!

Is this possible? Can my mother really know the Truth of how my son, a typical teen, has a love-hate relationship with school? Can she really help me, from beyond the earthly realm?

In Wisdom, it says that only the foolish believe that our loved ones are really dead. In fact, our relationships with our deceased loved ones are continuous and seamless, and on-going. According to an article written by Fr. Eamon Tobin, "From very early on in the Church's history, Christians have believed that our love and help for one another could extend beyond death. Those who have died are still part of the Christian family, loving and being loved, only temporarily hidden from the sight of those here below."

I have received a great gift this All Saints' Day. I took care of my mother in her last days, out of a sense of obligation. Now I know that, wherever my mother is, she is still loving me and offering me tangible aid. I have a great sense of relief that, as much as she struggled as a mother, she DID -- and DOES-- love me.

Now, I forgive HER more than ever!

[Related Postings: " Recipe For a Saint", November 13, 2013;  "My Favorite Saint", November 5, 2011.]


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