November Cloister Corner

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary:
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died and buried: He descended into hell:
The third day he rose again from the dead:
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
From thence he shall come 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.

— Apostles’ Creed

The Communion of Saints

…The phrase, Communion of Saints, in Greek, is `agiwn koinwnian (hagion koinonian). Literally it means the fellowship or partnership of all those who are called to be the people of God.

What do we mean by this phrase? It can take several meanings. The most obvious, from the English words is that it has to do with "Holy Communion", the Eucharist, Breaking of Bread, Lord's Supper - call it what you wish. It can certainly be argued that Jesus instituted that sacrament to be the ultimate expression of koinwnia. It would be true to say that this sacrament which is so often the one which divides Christian from Christian was intended to be a symbol of our oneness in Christ.

If we look at the original Greek it could be taken to mean a sharing in holy things or even a participation in holiness. Both of these things are true of Christians for when we break bread, when we worship, when we bless we are certainly sharing in holy things and when we are baptised, when we are filled with the Spirit we participate in holiness.

But by far the greatest significance of the phrase is that we share in fellowship with the whole Church, with all Christians of all ages, with "angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven", with those that have gone before and those yet to come. The Church militant and the Church triumphant. As it says in the great and ancient hymn the Te Deum Laudamus -

"The glorious company of the apostles praise thee
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee
The noble army of martyrs praise thee
The holy church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee"

This is the company we keep in the Fellowship/Partnership of the Holy Ones –

The Communion of Saints.

REFLECTION – Read and prayerfully reflect on the Apostle’s Creed.

Is the Apostle’s Creed a pronouncement of ‘my faith commitment’ to live a holy life?

Does my daily life reflect that I "keep company in the partnership of the Holy Ones" –
The Communion of Saints - in fulfilling a faith commitment as expressed in the Apostle’s Creed?

US Mission Center, 4233 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63109, 877-272-1870
Vocation Office, 1400 South Sheridan Rd., Wichita, KS 67213 - Telephone: 877-ADORERS (877-236-7377)
(Copyright 2005 Adorers of the Blood of Christ)