One church of God, existing in three tenses of 'us'

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

	'Three churches' Church Militant - Pilgrim church Church Suffering - Expectant church Church Triumphant - Heavenly church

With school back in session, students are in English classes remembering the three major verb tenses: past, present and future.

The church of Christ's body could also be said to have three tenses - that still manage to exist at the same time:

• The Church Suffering;

• The Church Militant; and

• The Church Triumphant

These are not three churches, but the three states of existence in the one church that we call the Communion of Saints. Since we celebrate the Triumph of the Cross all this month (feast on Sept. 14), it seems a good time to study those who share in the salvation of Christ's cross.

In the Apostles' Creed, we profess belief in this Communion of Saints, the communionem sanctorum. This phrase can be translated as both "the participation in holy things" or "the participation of holy ones."

The Church of the East reminds the faithful of this union at each Eucharist by presenting the consecrated bread and wine with the words: "God's holy people sharing in God's holy things."

As God's holy people, we all share in these holy things. And that means all members of the church - whether in the present, the past or the future.

Present

Anyone reading this is a member of the Church Militant part of the Communion of the Saints. We are the church present in the world - what the Second Vatican Council called "the pilgrim church." And that title also reveals the work of the members of the Church Militant - we are meant to bring the church to the world, to witness to Christ and herald the Kingdom.

"Christians, on pilgrimage toward the heavenly city," the council said, "should seek and think of these things which are above. This duty in no way decreases, rather it increases, the importance of their obligation to work with all people in the building of a more human world" (GS, 57).

The Church Militant - the pilgrim church - is at work on earth, and God is at work in us. This is most especially true in the sacraments, but also in our prayers and our ministry.

Past

The Church Suffering is also part of the Communion of Saints, but they have finished their work on earth. These are "our brothers and sisters [the faithful departed] who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again" (Eucharistic Prayer II). The Church Suffering is traditionally those in purgatory. However, while they remain in need of our prayers - we are also in need of theirs. Their work may be finished on earth, but - like the work of all those in Christ - it is not done. Instead, their work remains mysteriously linked to ours.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this link between the Church Militant and the Church Suffering as a sort of shared venture: "Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective" (no. 958).

How can the prayers of those in purgatory be helpful to us? St. Robert Bellarmine, (1542-1621), a doctor of the church, said it is because those in purgatory have proven their love for God, even if imperfectly, and are in union with him, though still imperfectly, and that their prayers therefore have power to help us. Vatican II, in its document on The Church, called this benefit between us and those in purgatory "an exchange of spiritual goods" (LG, 49).

Because of this understanding of the holiness of those in purgatory and their assured future with God, it is more common today to call the Church Suffering the Church Expectant.

Future

If the prayer of those still being perfected is powerful, what about those who are in perfect union with God now?

The saints are, clearly, also part of the Communion of Saints. They are the Church Triumphant. And their intercession for us is very powerful. As St. Therese of Lisieux promised on her deathbed (a promised miraculously confirmed by a shower of roses after her death), the saints desire to spend eternity doing good on earth. They want to continue the mission of Christ, just as they did on earth: different circumstances, same work.

So all who are in church - past, present or future - share in the same communion, the same unity in Christ.

And they share in the same work. As Vatican II said of the three states of the church: "All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways, share in the same charity towards God and our neighbor, and we all sing the one hymn of glory to our God" (LG, no. 49).

There are three states - present, past and future - in one eternal church, the Body of Christ. This is the communion of saints: holy people sharing holy things. The simple lesson of these three states - these three verbs of being, if you will - is that we will not be separated in Christ.

As Pope Paul VI said in 1968, "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are attaining their purification, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one church."