Becoming One Family in Christ - Reflecting on the Communion of Saints

In our Creed, we profess the notion of the Communion of Saints, which the Church describes in many ways. As a convert, it was one that I tackled with supreme caution as I grew to gradually embrace its mystery. Seemingly without words, it resonated with my spirit. One of the most touching articulations, I believe, can be found in the Catechism, paragraphs 957-959 (taken from Lumen Gentium):

957. "Communion with the saints. 'It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself'[LG 50; cf. Eph 4:1-6 .]:

We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples![Martyrium Polycarpi, 17: Apostolic Fathers II/3, 396.]"

958. "Communion with the dead. 'In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them.'[LG 50; cf. 2 Macc 12:45 .] Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective." 959. "In the one family of God. 'For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church.'[LG 51; d. Heb 3:6 .]"

What strikes me about the Communion of Saints is precisely the nature of this Communion that we have in Christ. We who are Christians are inseparably linked in a spiritual communion with our brothers and sisters in Heaven because we are in Christ as they are in Christ, albeit they are in a perfect relationship with Him. But if we do have this type of spiritual relationship with them in Heaven, then certainly we have this type of spiritual relationship with all who are in Christ here on the Earth, albeit not perfectly. We are called to the fullest manifestation of this communion with the whole Church particularly when we participate in the sacraments. Hence our spiritual communion on earth is one of vocation -- the communal call to holiness. The Catechism also states in paragraph 946 and 947:

What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints? The communion of saints is the Church. Since all the fathful form one body, the good of each is communicated to the others... We must therefore believe that there exists a communion of goods in the Church. But the most important member is Christ, since He is the head... Therefore, the riches of Christ are communicated to all the members, through the sacraments.

Certainly we intercede for one another. But if we are in communion with one another in a way that achieves its perfection in Christ, particularly as revealed by our brothers and sisters in Heaven, then this is truly a profound concept, is it not? That our relationship with the rest of the Church both on Earth and in Heaven transcends and surpasses the physicality of our human relationships. In a way, our spiritual relationship with one another redefines and transforms our physical relationship with one another. And the gifts of God, the riches of Christ, are communicated through the sacraments. At the core of all of this is prayer. So when in life you have passing thoughts about a brother or sister, don't let them fall into a void. Rather, pause and pray for them - that we might empower one another spiritually and be that family Christ calls us to be. This is our vocation.