Commentary of the Gospell

November 1, 2022

Communion of Saints

A question a religious sometimes encounter is: “How many members are there in your Congregation?”  One of my companions has a ready-made answer: “7,000+ members.” If the answer surprised the one who asked, who might, therefore, wear an incredulous look, my friend would explain: “Yes, we are 7,000+. There are around 4,000 in heaven, and 3,000 here on earth.” And, that is the truth! We must necessarily count every one of the souls gone before us, be they members of our biological or religious families or faith communities. They continue to live and relate to us; they go on exercising their ministry of intercession for us. The solemnity of the Communion of Saints reminds us that we belong to a very large family, part of whom are in heaven and continue to be members of the living Body of Christ. If we profess so in our Creed, we must make it a reality we relate to, in our daily life as well.

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF - Claretian Publications Philippines