Growth in charity is accomplished in a pre-
eminent way by the practice of the spiritual
and corporal works of mercy. Charity begins
at home, and we must strive to be charitable
toward our family and friends first.
Growth in all three theological virtues of
faith, hope, and charity requires the nourish-
ment of prayer, which is “the raising of one’s
mind and heart to God or the requesting of
good things from God” (CCC, no. 2559). If
we have trouble praying, we should ask the
Holy Spirit to help us. As we grow in our
prayer life, we will find ourselves not only
praying to the Holy Spirit but also in the
Holy Spirit because the Spirit dwells in us.
with the souls in purgatory and the saints in
heaven (cf. CCC, no. 954).
Because the Church is a mystical com-
munion, we must recognize our solidarity
with the angels and saints, especially the all-
holy Virgin Mary, who is the Mother of the
Church. The Christian life is not individual
but communal. We grow into Christ as
members of his Mystical Body.
The Second Vatican Council underlines
this mystical communion we have with the
souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven:
Fully conscious of this communion of the
whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the
pilgrim Church from the very first ages
of the Christian religion has cultivated
with great piety the memory of the dead,
and “because it is a holy and wholesome
thought to pray for the dead that they may
be loosed from their sins” (2 Macc 12:46)
also offers suffrages for them. The Church
has always believed that the apostles and
Christ’s martyrs who had given the su-
purification in Purgatory; and those who are
in the glory of heaven.
This solidarity is expressed in a special
way by offering prayers and sacrifices for the
conversion of sinners, which is one of the
main messages of the Marian apparitions of
Fatima, whose one hundredth anniversary is
being celebrated in 2017. The saints are not
only models for us to follow but spiritual
friends who pray for us and help us to grow
in Christ. The angels also intercede for us,
and we must remember that each of us has
a guardian angel who serves as our protector
and shepherd during our earthly pilgrimage
(CCC, no. 336).
We must also remember that Christ
Help from the Mystical Body
gave us his Mother as our spiritual Mother
The Church is understood as the “mys-
when he was dying on the cross (Jn 19:
tical Body of Christ.” The Second Vatican
26–27). The beloved disciple represents all
Council provides this vivid description:
of us who try to follow Christ, and Jesus
The Head of this Body is Christ. He is the
wants us to take his Mother into the home
image of the invisible God and in Him all
of our hearts.
things came into being. He is before all
The Second Vatican Council reminds us
creatures and in Him all
that Mary is “our Mother
things hold together. He
in the order of grace” who
is the head of the Body
cooperates in a singular way
which is the Church. He
with her divine Son “in giv-
“Because the Church is a
is the beginning, the first-
ing back supernatural life
born from the dead, that
to souls” (LG, no. 61). The
mystical communion, we must
in all things He might
more we contemplate Mary,
have the first place (60).
the more we enter “into the
recognize our solidarity with the
By the greatness of His
great mystery of the Incarna-
power He rules the things
tion” (no. 65). The Second
angels and saints, especially the
in heaven and the things
Vatican Council teaches
on earth, and with His
that Mary, as God’s Mother,
all-holy Virgin Mary.”
all-surpassing perfection
is placed by grace “next to
and way of acting He fills
her Son, and exalted above
the whole body with the
all angels and men” (no.
riches of His glory.
66). The Council also teach-
All the members ought to be molded
preme witness of faith and charity by the es that the more we honor Mary, the more
in the likeness of Him, until Christ be
shedding of their blood, are closely joined her divine Son “is rightly known, loved, and
formed in them. For this reason we, who
with us in Christ, and she has always glorified” (no. 66).
have been made to conform with Him,
venerated them with special devotion, to-
who have died with Him and risen with
gether with the Blessed Virgin Mary and Called to Divinization
Him, are taken up into the mysteries of His
the holy angels. The Church has piously
Growing in Christ is growing in holiness,
l ife, until we will reign together with Him.
implored the aid of their intercession. To which is our ultimate vocation. Although we
On earth, still as pilgrims in a strange land,
these were soon added also those who are poor sinners, we are called to “share in
tracing in trial and in oppression the paths
had more closely imitated Christ’s virgin- the divine nature” (2 Pt 1:4).
He trod, we are made one with His suffer-
ity and poverty, and finally others whom
This process of divinization takes place
ings like the body is one with the Head,
the outstanding practice of the Christian through many means. Some of the most im-
suffering with Him, that with Him we may
virtues and the divine charisms recom- portant are detachment from sin; reception
be glorified (LG, no. 7).
mended to the pious devotion and imita- of the Holy Eucharist; reading Sacred Scrip-
tion of the faithful. (LG, no. 50)
ture, growth in charity; growth in prayer; and
During this life we are pilgrims, and
drawing upon the help of Mary, the angels,
we seek to be molded into the likeness of
We should grow in Christ by drawing and the saints.
Christ, who is the head of the Mystical Body, on our communion with all the members
the Church. As members of the Church on of the Church: those suffering persecution Dr. Robert Fastiggi is professor of systematic
earth, however, we have a spiritual bond on earth; those undergoing post-mortem theology at Sacred Heart.
shms.edu
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