You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God," (Ephesians 2:19)
This verse from today's First Reading can give us a lot of comfort.
As baptized Christians, St. Paul tells us, we are "fellow citizens with the holy ones" and we are "member's of God's household."
Think about that for a minute. You and I are part of God's own household! How cool is that!
Plus, it's a very large household. Just think: besides all our fellow Christians who live here and now, there are also those who have "graduated" from this life who are now in heaven. They're our 'big brothers and big sisters' in the Lord. They are holy men, women and children, including, perhaps, some of your own family and friends!
And of these, there are some whom the Church has officially declared saints and "blesseds." We can ask them to pray for us, all these Saints and blesseds, martyrs and holy men, women and children.
When we say in The Creed that we believe in the "communion of saints," we profess that we're not in this alone.
Everyone in heaven makes up what we call "the Church Triumphant."
All the souls in purgatory are the "Church Suffering."
And we here on earth are the "Church Militant," since we're still soldiering on, fighting the good fight.
But thank God, we have the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and each other in our daily struggles.
"Christianity was never meant to be lived alone."
So let's remember, we're in this together. We can be a great team if we work at it. Why don't we start right now?
Just as you would ask a friend to pray for you, you can also ask someone in heaven to do the same. Let's begin by asking today's saints for their prayers. Ready? All together now:
"Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us!!"
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Launceston on Tasmania
Australia
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