How often have we said the Creed and breezed through the line “I believe in the Communion of Saints” without giving it much thought? Sure it’s a phrase that we have heard and repeated throughout our lives without really thinking about it as more than just a line in a prayer.
The early Christians referred to all members of the community as “saints,” not necessarily because they achieved moral excellence, but because they were made “holy” by belonging to a “group” whose lives were connected in serving God. In this sense community and communion are synonymous with church which goes beyond a mere place of worship.
The Communion of Saints like the vine and the branches, connects all people in present time with those who came before, and those have yet to come...it’s an eternal continuum. God is love. God is eternal. Love is eternal. When we love one another. We share the presence of God in us with one another. The ancient Sanskrit word, Namaste is traditionally used at the end of a yoga practice. However, its meaning goes beyond that of a salutation. In a spiritual sense we acknowledge the presence of God in all creation: The Divine in me bows to the Divine in you. Namaste!
Yet, when we think of Communion it’s only natural for us to think of the Eucharist as the sharing of the Lord’s Supper with one another. When we recite the line in the Creed, "I believe in the Communion of Saints" we remember that we are sharing God’s love and when we receive and give the Eucharist we share His love... in memory of Him. (Mark 14:12-16,21-26).
In this dynamic act of sharing, the presence of the Trinity becomes clear to us: Love is in us and shared through us for Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name, Amen.
It is more than just the line in a prayer, isn’t it?
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