The communion of saints - St. Thomas Aquinas

Goals for the evening
Know what:
Comprehend the Catholic belief in the
communion of saints, and identify the characteristics of
saintly living in the lives of the saints and in scripture.
Know why:
Recognize the significance of the
communion of saints in the Catholic tradition and the
relevance of the communion of saints to a life of faith.
Know how:
lives today.
Discover practical ways to live saintly

“For all the Saints”
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who You by faith before the world confessed,
Your Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one within your great design.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, to the loyal faithful comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

SAINT:
The "holy one" who leads a life in union with God through the
grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The
Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones.
Catechism of the Catholic Church

"The Church . . . is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy.
This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the
Spirit is hailed as ‘alone holy,' loved the Church as his Bride, giving
himself up for her so as to sanctify her; he joined her to himself as
his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the
glory of God." The Church, then, is "the holy People of God," and
her members are called "saints."
823 Catechism of the Catholic Church

CANONIZATION: The solemn declaration by the Pope that a
deceased member of the faithful may be proposed as a model and
intercessor to the Christian faithful and venerated as a saint on the
basis of the fact that the person lived a life of heroic virtue or
remained faithful to God through martyrdom.

By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming
that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's
grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness
within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the
saints to them as models and intercessors. "The saints have always
been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult
moments in the Church's history." Indeed, "holiness is the hidden
source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and
missionary zeal."
828 Catechism of the Catholic Church

Steps to becoming a canonized saint
キ A local bishop investigates the candidate's life and
writings for evidence of heroic virtue. The information
uncovered by the bishop is sent to the Vatican.
キ A panel of theologians and the cardinals of the
Congregation for Cause of Saints evaluate the candidate's life.
キ If the panel approves, the pope proclaims that the
candidate is venerable, which means that the person is a role
model of Catholic virtues.
キ The next step toward sainthood is beatification.
Beatification allows a person to be honored by a particular group
or region. In order to beatify a candidate, it must be shown that
the person is responsible for a posthumous miracle. Martyrs,
those who died for their religious cause, can be beatified without
evidence of a miracle. On October 20th, 2003, Mother Teresa
was beatified. She will now be known as Blessed Mother Teresa
of Kolkata.
キ In order for the candidate to be considered a saint, there
must be proof of a second posthumous miracle. If there is, the
person is canonized.

Remember we do not worship saints, but we recognize their virtues
and practices. They intercede for us.

I believe in God, the Father almighty
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And life everlasting. Amen