What is Our Relationship With the Glorious Saints?

What is Our Relationship With the Glorious Saints! In speaking of devotion to the saints, it is important to understand who we are in the first place . . . and who they are in the second place. Therefore, this All Saints Conference begins by looking at the Body of Christ itself. Note the expression. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. St. Augustine helps us understand this expression further. He describes the whole Body of Christ this way. Jesus is the head. And we are the body’s members. Understand that there is a fundamental oneness. There is one life within the body. And that is the life of Jesus. There is a fundamental oneness with the shared life of Jesus. The conference further explains this idea. Shared Life of Jesus This shared life has some properties we also need to understand. Despite the discussions one might hear in modern language about your relationship with Jesus, there is a fundamental truth. You do not have a relationship with Christ that is completely separate from mine. It is important to comprehend this truth. Salvation doesn’t happen because Jesus saves me! Rather, I am saved because Jesus saves us! There is a difference. Some Christians believe Jesus saves me, and Jesus saves others and somehow, we come together to form His body. No, that is not accurate. Jesus saves us, by making us His people . . . by making us His body. He doesn’t save people individually, then gathers them. He saves individuals by bringing them into His people. The conference goes into further details and explains why this truth is important. The conference explains how this truth helps explain who we are within the Church. The Three Elements of the Body of Christ When we die, we are still members of the body of Christ. Death changes the connection somewhat, but we remain a member. When we are live, we can physically touch and see one another. When we die, or connection changes . . . but we remain a member of the body. Typically, we speak of three levels of the Church, or three elements of the Body of Christ. We speak of not different parts (like hands or feet), but different place where we find those parts. The three elements are the Church Triumphant, the Church Militant, and the Church Suffering. The Church on Earth, for those that are physically alive, in the struggle for goodness on earth, are called the Church Militant. The conference explains this further. Not to be confused by using the word Militant. Hear more about with this means and why it is important to understand. The other two elements are also explained. In doing battle within the struggle of good and evil on earth and have emptied themselves to worldly views. They have turned from sin and have lived their lives in terms of the Gospel. These people are what we call the saints. They are truly gloriously alive in heaven. The saints are alive . . . they are not simply a memory of life from long ago. While they await full redemption of their bodies in heaven, they are gloriously alive before the throne of God in heaven. They remain members of the Church. Just as they were invested in the Body of Church when they were physically alive, the remain invested within the body now! They remain concerned with the well-being of their brothers and sisters in Christ. Why Have a Devotion to Saints? The conference’s focus is Our Relationship with the Glorious Saints! There are several questions that are reviewed including the following. Why would I have a devotion to the Saints? Why wouldn’t I just turn to Jesus? And several other questions about Saints are addressed. Understand why we turn to the Saints. The Glory of God is the Human Person Fully Alive. Wow! What a statement. What does it mean and what how do the saints impact this statement? Hear more about saints and what they actually mean to us! Before you have a devotion to the saints, they have turned to us first! Listen to this important conference on Saints and how they interact with us!