Catechism Corner | The Communion of Saints

 Why is it important for the Church to name certain individuals as "saints"? In this case, "saint" is actually much more than just a title of honor. Because the Church is confident that these "holy ones" are now in heaven, Catholics are urged not only to imitate their holiness, but also to ask for their assistance.

Those who have been perfected and are now face to face with God in heaven — that is, the "saints" in the latter sense of that word — have a share, Scripture tells us, in His divine nature (see 2 Pt 1:4). This insight helps us understand the Church's teaching about what we call the Communion of Saints — that is, the fellowship, the sharing, of the saints.

The perfected saints, having a share in God's own nature, have a share in His perfect love. They love those of us still on earth as God loves us. They want to help us; they want to see us reach heaven as well. So they have the desire to assist us in any way they can.

The perfected saints also have a share in God's perfect knowledge. They are able, through His grace, to know what's taking place on earth. God allows them to see and hear what He sees and hears, so they can hear the requests we may make of them.

The perfected saints have a share in God's perfect, supernatural power. They are able, through His grace, to act on our behalf, to intervene in earthly affairs, just as He does. They don't just pray for us; they can act on our behalf in other ways as well.

Scripture tells us, "The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful" (Jas 5:16). If that's true of righteous people still on earth, think how powerful and effective is the prayer of the saints in heaven, who have been perfected in righteousness!

Some Christians think we shouldn't ask the saints for help because God would somehow be displeased if we went to them for help rather than going directly to Him. But the truth is that all Christians ask other Christians on earth to pray for them and to help them in other ways. Yet when we do that, we don't worry about not going to God directly for help.

Why not? Because we understand the principle that it pleases God to have His children helping one another. That's why He commands us in Scripture to "pray for one another" (Jas 5:16).

Veneration of the Saints

Showing honor is a natural human response to the goodness, even the greatness, of another human being. We honor the founders and other leaders of our country from throughout history. We name cities after them, write books about them, make statues of them to erect in public places. We paint pictures of them to display in schools and government buildings. We speak reverently and gratefully of them on patriotic holidays.

We do similar things for great scientists, great leaders of social movements, great artists and musicians. Why? Because it's a matter of justice to recognize their gifts and contributions to us. Justice means giving to each his due, and we recognize that we owe much to these great human beings, and we want to say so in different ways.

In all these ways, we are venerating these great men and women. And so, we shouldn't be surprised that the Catholic Church venerates the great heroes of the Faith, who over the centuries have embodied in an extraordinary manner the way of life to which we're called as Christians. Now that these men and women have been perfected by God and are saints standing face to face with Him in heaven, we have even more reason to venerate them.

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.