The Communion of Saints 2025
Celebrating All Saints and the Holy Souls
Each year we celebrate these two Feasts separately and rightly so, giving importance to our relationship with God, with our sisters and brothers who have died and those who are already enjoying the eternal presence of God in Heaven. With them we are all members of the Communion of Saints. This Communion of Saints is the Spiritual union of all who have been redeemed by Christ both living and dead. We proclaim our belief in this doctrine each time we recite the Apostles Creed.
Believers share spiritual goods, like Faith and the Sacraments, while the Faithful in heaven and on earth can intercede for each other. Formerly we used divide the ‘Communion of Saints’, or the ‘Church’, into three categories;
- The Church militant (that is all of us, living saints struggling with life):
- The Church Triumphant (the Saints in Heaven):
- The Church suffering (those who have died and not yet reached Heaven).
In celebrating All Saints, the Church today directs us to Saint John’s vision of Heaven (Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14) where all the saints, angels and heavenly court sing their eternal song of praise, honour and glory around God’s throne. And we too join with them in the Prayer of Praise.
In our celebrating the Feast of All Souls we use another type of Prayer – the Prayer of Petition. We, like the Souls of the Faithful Departed, are on our journey towards God and today we are minded of the need we all have of each other’s support and help of prayer. We know that we help our neighbour by prayer and what we call ‘almsgiving’ or acts of charity. Our help for those who have gone before us and are still on this journey towards is by Prayer alone. And it is by prayer alone that they assist us on our journey. Our prayer, on this day of the Holy Souls, relies totally on the power and mercy of God.
Our relationship with the Saints in Heaven is somewhat different. We rely on them for inspiration as to how to live our lives of Faith and Service. We call on them to intercede for us and protect us in our struggles on earth. We are assured that they are mindful of our needs by the many messages and promises that they have given in their lifetime. Saint John Chrysostom explained that “Distance separates us when we die but love unites us and death itself cannot divide us. For though my body die, my soul will live and be mindful of my people”. Saint Dominic promised “I shall be more helpful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life on earth”. Saint Therese of Lisieux wished “to spend her Heaven in doing good on earth”.
We each have saints with whom we can relate and for whom we have special affection and devotion. And in recent times we have Saints of our own time who seem more real because of our shared lifetime. Think of Pope St John Paul, Mother Teresa, Pope St John XXlll, St Carlo Aquitis as if we have known them personally. They are our brothers and sisters united with us in the Communion of Saints and constantly praying for us.
So, these days are all about Hope, that hope which is ours because we have been redeemed in Christ. We pray that that hope will be fulfilled when we are all united in the One Body of Christ glorifying God forever.