Once again, you guys amaze me with your knowledge of the Faith! I knew none of this stuff until well into adulthood, so you all give me hope!
All right, let's revisit the Quiz challenge:
Define and describe the "Communion of Saints"; if possible, use some traditional terms and designations in your answer.
My answer:
The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union of all Christians, on earth, in Purgatory and in Heaven. This Communion is also known as the Body of Christ, which St. Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.
The traditional designations are these:
The Church Militant
These are the Christians (us!) still on earth, fighting the good fight against the devil and our own sin. We are "soldiers for Christ", fighting for all things True, Good and Beautiful. We rely on other members of the Body for encouragement and prayers.
The Church Suffering
These are the souls who have left this earth and are undergoing their final purgation (Purgatory). They are assured of Heaven, but need to be cleansed of any last vestige of self-love and imperfection before they can stand in God's presence. The prayers of the Church Militant for the Church Suffering are powerful and efficacious. We must never forget those brothers and sisters who have gone before us.
The Church Triumphant
These are all the saints in Heaven, both canonized and unknown. These souls enjoy the beatific vision, and they are constantly interceding on our behalf, waiting for the day when we and the Church Suffering can join them at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, united in perfection, living eternally in the Heart of the Holy Trinity.
The "Communion of Saints" is referenced in the Apostles' Creed of antiquity. The Resurrection of Christ has taught us that death does not separate Christians. We are all one Body in Christ, and each part of the Body loves and needs and cares for the others. Any artificial separation of "living" and "dead" Christians, and any implication that an impenetrable wall has gone up between those of us on earth and those who have gone before, is not a Christian understanding of the subject.
We are One Body, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. We are mystically bound through God's grace and love. If one member of the Body suffers, we all suffer. If one member is honored, we all rejoice.
The Communion of Saints is a comfort and gift to us all. We are a family.
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The Oh!! Lost By a Hair! Award goes to K, who not only got the right answer, but did it as quickly (and succinctly) as I've ever seen, which also earns her the Quick Draw McGraw Award and the Brevity is the Soul of Wit Award. She was only one phrase away from winning her 2nd Grand Prize.
The I'm Lovin' the Link! Award goes to Brent Stubbs, who not only had a great answer chock full of Scripture (which I would expect from a former Protestant preacher!) and references to the Holy Eucharist, but who also linked to a fabulous post on the subject! I must say that the photo of Heaven as "big happy hugfest" made me laugh and cringe at the same time: Brent, did you get that image out of one of my CCD books from the 1970s?!
The "Lazy Answerer" Redeems Herself By Diligence Award goes to Nubby, for her excellent response to an anonymous commenter who challenged the Church's terminology. Nubby's always up for a good dialogue, and ready to give a reason for the hope that is within her! My kinda gal.
The Lazy Host of DQS Award goes to ME! For cutting the awards short due to my daughter needing the computer so that she can make a resume, and the pressure is on me right NOW, so I have to hurry. (Hey, that's my first Bubble Award! I am so honored!)
And the Grand Prize Bubble Award, here in all its glory...
…goes to JOY BEYOND THE CROSS!!
Yes, our own saint-loving JBTC has won not only for her incredible knowledge and enthusiasm, but because she mentioned all four of my predetermined "terms and designations": Church Militant, Church Suffering, Church Triumphant and Body of Christ! For this (sort of arbitrary, yet accurate) criteria for winning, JBTC will receive a most excellent prize, donated from our generous blogger friend, Stacy, over at Accepting Abundance:
Scott Hahn's CD set on Mark's Gospel!!!
Okay, that sounds amazing, and I am envious!! You are one lucky member of the Church Militant, JBTC! Enjoy your prize, and thank you, Stacy!
And before I run off, if any of you are new to the blog and would like to catch up on back episodes of Doctrinal Quiz Show (they are riveting!), just click on the label "Doctrinal Quiz Show" below this post, and you will be transported to all of them.
See you all next time, and thanks for playing Doctrinal Quiz Show!!
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