The communion of saints and Mary: the Mother in the community of the saved
The communion of saints and Mary, the Mother in the community of the saved
The doctrine of the communion of saints is the theological framework that grounds devotion to Mary and to the saints: the pilgrim Church, the Church being purified, and the glorified Church form a single community in Christ, in which prayer and the reciprocity of graces are possible.
Mary in the glorified Church
Mary, glorified in the Assumption, is the most eminent member of the heavenly Church. The Second Vatican Council affirms that Mary “shines forth as a sign of sure hope and solace for the People of God still on pilgrimage” (LG 68). Her glorification anticipates the destiny of all redeemed humanity.
Intercommunication of graces
In the communion of saints, the glorified members can intercede for the pilgrim members. This is the theological basis of Mary’s intercession: she is not an exception to the rule, but its most perfect realization. As Mother of the Church and most eminent member of the saints, her intercession carries special weight.
Eschatological dimension
The doctrine of the communion of saints has an eschatological dimension: it points to the final consummation, when the whole Church, pilgrim, being purified, and glorified, will be definitively gathered together in God. Mary, already glorified, is the sign of that destiny and the intercessor who brings the pilgrims closer to the goal. The Church celebrates this communion on All Saints’ Day, November 1.
Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian Theology, Marian apparitions, and the Postgraduate Program in Mariology.
Postgraduate Program in Mariology
Would you like to deepen your formation in Mariology? Discover the Postgraduate Program in Mariology of Locus Mariologicus – an academic formation that unites theological rigor, spiritual life, and the living tradition of the Church.
Would you like to study Mariology seriously?
This article grows out of the works in the Locus Mariologicus library. The Postgraduate Program in Mariology takes you to the same source, with academic guidance: Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, and the Magisterium, from the first dogma to contemporary questions.
Responses