The Church Triumphant consists of all the souls of the blessed in Heaven. It is the Church of all those in heavenly glory who have triumphed over their evil inclinations, the seductions of the world, and the temptations of the evil spirit.

The Church honors the canonized saints who are already with the Lord in Heaven because they inspire us by the good example of their lives, and because they can help us by their prayers. We must honor the saints not just because they can and will pray for us, but also because our love for God demands it. The saints …

When we say, “I believe in the Communion of Saints,” we mean that we believe that there is a union, a fellowship, of all souls in whom the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells. This communion is the union of the members of the Church on earth, in Heaven, and in Purgatory. The word “communion” means “union with.” The …

The Church is called the Church Militant because it is the Church here on earth which is still fighting against sin and error. It is also called the Pilgrim Church, since its ultimate goal is Heaven, rather than earth. If we should fall into mortal sin, we do not cease to be members of the Communion of Saints, but we …

We upon earth must pray for one another so we may all be faithful to our obligations as members of the Communion of Saints. We must also perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

The Church Suffering, or the Church Expectant, consists of the souls in Purgatory. This is the Church of all the faithful departed who are saved but are still being purified in purgatorial suffering. They cannot see God, but the Holy Spirit is in them. Being made ready for Heaven, they will never again sin.

We must have reverence toward the bodies of those who have gone before us in death, and we must pray for the souls of our deceased relatives and friends, and all of the faithful departed. We show respect for the bodies of the deceased because they were temples of the Holy Spirit and are destined to rise gloriously. We can …