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Show THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. In the ninth article of the Apostles' Creed, the Communion of Saints, we find a' most beautiful and consoling portion of tlie doctrines of the church. For its better understanding and most thorough appreciation ap-preciation one must bear in mind the character of God's church. This has been aptly defined as a vast kingdom, of a varied membership. The relationship established finds its highest perfection in the enjoyment en-joyment of God himself. These form the membership triumphant. But there are others who have not as yet attained their last end. Those, for instance, who are being purified in the flames of purgatory and those whose souls are still retained by the bodies they animate. All the citizens of the same kingdom; some triumphant, some suffering and some militant. All, however, are bound together in a close union, for all are members mem-bers of the. myst ical body of the church whose head is Jesus Christ. St. Paul puts it thus : "For as in one body, we have many members, but all the members mem-bers have not the same office, so we being manv are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." All are united in our Lord, one baptism and one faith, seeking the s.ame end, eternal happiness. The union and communication, therefore, between the members, though these be in different states, is quite clear. All being members of the same body, it also follows that all participate in one another's prayers and good works. Rut this means a communication between the various members. Hence a communication communi-cation between the saints, the souls -in purgatory, members of the church suffering, and ourselves, ' members of the church militant. |