Reflections 2006
The network of Saints

It is very common today in a variety of fields to hear talk of the importance of ‘networking.’ The benefits of networking, we are told, include support, a broader knowledge and skills base, and increased access to resources. Whether in business management, computing, society, academia, hobbies or professions, networking is generally thought to be a good thing.

Two particular examples come to mind. The first is that network which has completely changed our way of life in the last 20 years, known by all simply as ‘the net.’ By linking all the computers of the world through advanced communication technology, the internet has made available vast resources of information, communication and support.

At first glance quite separate from this phenomenon is my second example: the important social networks which we build up over a lifetime – family, friends, work colleagues and others with whom we have meaningful interactions. Social commentators have emphasised the necessity of personal networks of support for personal and communal health. Sometimes the term ‘social capital’ is used to speak of the benefits that arise from such networks.

These two examples, and many others that could be chosen, both demonstrate the way in which the individual is strengthened and empowered beyond their personal capabilities when connected to a functioning network. One’s weakness is supplemented by the other’s strength. The potential of the whole is much greater than that of the sum of all its parts.

When we confess in the Creed that we believe in the ‘communion of saints,’ we are confessing that our relationship with God is not a personal relationship that excludes others. It is in fact enriched by a vast network of fellow believers. A network which transcends the limits of time and space.

St Paul expressed this reality in his letter to the Hebrews: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” (Heb 12:1) The life of faith is not lived alone. The weights we bear are not meant to be borne alone. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ,” St Paul writes. (Gal 6:2)

The communion of saints is a network established not through natural or personal means, nor through technological or scientific means. It is established spiritually by means of “the common sharing of all the members of the Church in holy things (sancta): the faith, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the charisms, and the other spiritual gifts.” (Compendium §194)

The communion in holy things establishes a real “communion between holy persons (sancti); that is, between those who by grace are united to the dead and risen Christ. Some are pilgrims on the earth; others, having passed from this life, are undergoing purification and are helped also by our prayers. Others already enjoy the glory of God and intercede for us. All of these together form in Christ one family – the Church – to the praise and glory of the Trinity.” (Compendium §195)

In some ways this ‘network of saints’ shares characteristics with those other networks mentioned earlier. Where we are spiritually impoverished, we find riches in the treasury of the saints. Where we are spiritually weak, we find strength in their virtue. Where our resources are limited, the resources of the community of saints are unlimited. This sharing of resources amongst the people of God is expressed and carried out in acts of love and prayer. Since our union with one another in Christ cannot be broken even by death (Rom 8:38-39), we continue to love and pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who have died, just as we believe they continue to love and pray for us.

At this time of the year, we especially remember our continuing communion with the faithful who have passed beyond this life. On 1 November we recall the many holy men and women whom the Church has designated as saints, that is, those who already enjoy the glory of God and intercede for us in His presence. All Saints Day is a special day in the Church. It is a day when it is good to attend Mass, for it is in the Eucharistic sacrifice that our unity with one another finds both its source and expression.

On 2 November we recall all those who have died in the love of God and the faith of Jesus Christ, but who are undergoing purification and have need of our prayers. The Compendium of the Catechism teaches that “because of the communion of saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth are able to help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance.” (§211)

While we do not wish to underplay in any way the importance of personal private devotion, we Catholics have always understood that our faith is a communal faith, our prayer is communal prayer, and our destiny is a communal destiny. The Church (that is the community of saints) is not an added extra to our religious experience; it is as a part of its network that we come to experience our unity with God, with one another and with all creation.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.