contention and division of his separated brethren, he remembers that he is spared their torturing doubts and anxieties in matters of belief and, furthermore, that he owes this happy immunity to the gratuitous gift of God. One of the first fruits of such thankfulness should be to show forth in his own life the beautiful workings of such pure faith and perfect morals.

Thus does actual life identify itself with true faith, and good will with divine grace, for, as St. Clement of Alexandria says, "As we were originally destined for good, we must now direct all our efforts to that end. We are required to have sound and healthful dispositions of mind for good, correct doctrine and a spirit of obedience."

VIII. "THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS."-THE CHURCH MILITANT, THE CHURCH SUFFERING, THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT.

THE Church of God forms a great, expansive kingdom which, while having its beginning on earth, reaches into the other life and finds its perfection, completion, and solution in heaven. It embraces all who have ever been admitted to it. Thus he who has been once received remains a member of the Church forNot merely those living on the earth are members of the Church of God. Both the saints in heaven and the souls in purgatory are united in a spiritual manner with the believing Christians yet dwelling in this world.

ever.

Therefore between the living and the departed, whether the latter are glorious in heaven or still detained in purgatory, there exists a community of spirit. The soul, even when detached from the body,

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can not forget what it knew in life. On the contrary, with deliverance from bodily incumbrance, many hindrances to knowledge are dispelled, and knowledge itself becomes clearer and stronger. After his death man is separated only in body from those with whom he was associated when on earth. The spirit retains remembrance of them, and with this remembrance charity also, which is the more elevated and intense since the spirit is now in a better condition to distinguish true divine worth from what is not genuine.

Thus all dwell in union with each other, and this union consists in all being members of one body, the mystical body of the Church whose head is Christ.

In order to describe this union the Holy Scriptures employ very aptly the simile of a human body, which, although one in person, consists of different members. "For as in one body, we have many members, but all the members have not the same office," says St. Paul, "so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Romans xii. 4–5).

The similarity between the Church and a human body consists in the fact that the Church has several members like the human body. As all the members of the frame compose but one body, so the members of the Church form but one Church. As the members of the body do not all discharge the same functions, so the different members of the Church do not all stand in an equality of calling, position, and dignity. But as each member suffers pain when any other member of the body is hurt and, on the other hand, is sound and well when the others are sound and well, so do the members of the Church suffer when one member suffers, because they are all closely bound together by a holy and indivisible charity. For as no

one member of the human body serves itself, so no member of the Church serves itself, but all serve God and contribute to His glory.

This is truly a communion of saints, that is, a communion of such as are called by God to saintliness, who are sanctified by baptism, who respond voluntarily to their calling, who strive for perfect holiness, and of whom many attain to perfect holiness. These com

pose the great Church of Christ, which is again subdivided into three, namely, the Church struggling on earth, the Church suffering in purgatory, and the Church glorious in heaven.

What these have in common are prayers and good works, so that each one of them can say with the Psalmist, "I am a partaker with all them that fear Thee" (Psalms cxviii. 63), that is to say, I have a share in the merits of all God-fearing souls.

Thus the Church militant has a share in the merits and enjoys the intercession of the saints in heaven who come to our aid.

The saints in heaven have reached their destiny. After long and weary struggles they have entered on the glory and happiness of the vision of God, entered into the unspeakable delights of heaven. In the fulness of their sublime charity they know no other wish save to see us become sharers of their joys. As, during their sojourn in life, they labored only for the glory of God, so now do they burn with desire to have us upon earth advance and increase that same honor and glory.

Far better than we do they know the dangers that threaten us and the obstacles that impede us who are left behind; hence they pray that we may obtain grace to fully discharge those duties the observance of which will make us worthy of heaven, as it has already done

in their own regard. Why would not God hear their prayer? We know that prayer is useful and efficacious, for Our Lord teaches, "Ask, and it shall be given you" (Matthew vii. 7). Now, if any and every prayer is powerful, the prayer of those pure saints in heaven, who ask for nothing but what is beneficial to our bodies and souls, must be preeminently efficacious. If the prayers of God's chosen saints are unavailing and without effect, then the prayers of poor, weak, sinladen mortals on earth must be futile and vain, and man is thus robbed of his only source of hope and consolation.

Even among the ancient Jews the conviction prevailed that, for the sake of pious departed saints, God granted graces which the weakness and unworthiness of the petitioner would not have obtained. To Isaac God Himself said, “I am with thee: I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake" (Genesis xxvi. 24). Hence, also, Solomon prayed, "For Thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Thy anointed " (Psalms cxxxi. 10). Surely what God did for the sake of the saints of the Old Law, who had not yet reached His presence, He will not deny to the saints of His beloved Son.

Like us, the poor suffering souls in purgatory are benefited by the merits and prayers of the saints in heaven. We also can come to their relief by prayer, alms-giving and other good works, but chiefly by the holy sacrifice of the Mass, whether we have it offered up for them, or hear such Masses, or receive holy communion for them. Prayer must be of assistance to them, and the more so as they can not help themselves. It must be that God looks down with compassion and mercy on such a spectacle, the most touching of all spectacles-one portion of His crea

tures praying for those who have no other means of reaching His blessed presence save through the sympathizing efforts of their fellow-beings.

Often, indeed, have the unbelievers called this sweet communion of saints a foolish doctrine and one that is opposed to reason.

A single example, which we will here relate, may serve to instruct us differently.

Let us take our stand beside the death-bed of a mother who knows that, though in the prime of life, she must quit this earth and leave her poor orphan child behind her, helpless and friendless in the world. In this dire moment of heartfelt grief what is there to comfort the poor mother? Certainly only the firm belief on her part that, although she is to leave her child in the body, she is not to be separated from her in soul, and that when it shall please God to admit her to heaven she will then be in a still better condition to pray for her child than even when on earth.

This sacred and consoling promise the mother can make to her child when giving her her final blessing. All through life, even till her dying day, the orphan child can look upon her dead mother as a cherished guarding and protecting spirit. And will not God hear the prayers of such a sainted mother in heaven for her child on earth? And if the mother, instead of being at once admitted to the glory of heaven, is undergoing the necessary cleansing of purgatory, will God deprive that mother of her child in the very time when her innocent prayers can help the departed soul, and when such prayers are most needed?

Men talk much about the goodness and love of God. Why, then, do they charge so kind and merciful a Being with tearing asunder the very ties made by Himself?